NOP

This post was written by Zea Sonnabend, CCOF inspector and policy specialist. CCOF is committed to ending the use of antibiotics in organic fruit production. We believe that a longer time period is necessary for oxytetracycline than the current 2014 expiration date because of the continuing research in varying locations and seasons that would ensure success, the need for registration of new materials, and enough time for grower education and outreach. We would like to see an extension in the range of 2017 to 2020 for phase out; however, we support the majority position to extend the expiration date for the use of oxytetracycline to October 21, 2016. While our clients do not all use this material, and those that have it on their OSPs use it only when conditions favoring fire blight are present and in conjunction with other cultural and biological practices, the infrequent times when the material is needed have not yet been replaced with alternative measures.