Fumigation

MANDATORY FUMIGATION OF PEPPERS, THYME, YAM

Fumigation is the ‘exposure of a product to a gas for a specific period at a particular dosage in order to kill a particular pest (s)’. In Jamaica, the gas of choice is methyl bromide. This is generally applied to three commodities in the preclearance program, that is: pepper, thyme and yam. Fumigation of these items is mandatory, when leaving Jamaica through the preclearance program for export to the United States.

Both Agricultural Export Complexes (Kingston and Montego Bay) have fumigation facilities. After fumigation, boxes are stamped with the USDA treated stamp by USDA or Jamaican Plant Quarantine Officers.

Two types of fumigation are practiced in Jamaica:

• CHAMBER FUMIGATION – KINGSTON
• TARPAULIN FUMIGATION – MONTEGO BAY