Roughly 70 percent of strawberries grown in Australia are being treated with a pesticide that is supposed to have been banned across the world because it depletes the ozone layer . Nine strawberry growers in Victoria 's Yarra Valley are still using methyl bromide to fumigate crops , despite it being banned by the United Nations Montreal Protocol more than two decades ago , the ABC reports . The odourless gas was meant to have been phased out in Australia by 2005 . Roughly 70 percent of strawberries grown in Australia are being treated with a pesticide that is supposed to have been banned across the world because it depletes the ozone layer . But the Victorian growers , who produce 100 million strawberry runners a year , are still using almost 30 tonnes of the pesticide annually . They claim alternatives would drive business into the ground and cost 15,000 jobs , so they regularly apply for a critical use exemption from the United Nations . Methyl bromide , an odourless and colouless gas , was banned because it depletes the ozone layer . 'Internationally , we 've gotten rid of 85 per cent of methyl bromide , and it 's a great win for mankind — in fact it 's the best environmental gain that 's been made , ' Dr Ian Porter , UN Methyl Bromide Technical Options committee 's co-chair , told the ABC . 'It 's frustrating ... but we do n't want industries to fall over economically or technically . We do n't want more disease or pests in Australia . ' Growers suggest their costs could soar by 500 percent if they were to stop using the pesticide , which could see a punnet of strawberries soar to more than $ 10 . The Victorian farms still using methyl bromide - who are part of the Toolangi Certified Strawberry Runner Growers ' Cooperative - said the industry had spent $ 700,000 on research to find alternatives to the pesticide . 'The soils at Toolangi are clays with high organic matter , and alternative treatments used in other parts of Australia do not work well in these conditions , especially in cold temperatures , ' they said . They said banning it would mean consumers have less availability to strawberries and more berries would be imported - implying the health standards may not be the same as in Australia . Nine strawberry growers in Victoria 's Yarra Valley are still using methyl bromide to fumigate crops , despite it being banned by the United Nations Montreal Protocol more than two decades ago . Victorian growers , who produce 100 million strawberry runners a year , are still using almost 30 tonnes of the pesticide annually .
Nine Victorian strawberry farms treat crops with methyl bromide pesticide . It was banned by United Nations in 2015 because it deplete carbon dioxide . Australia agreed to phase out environmentally damaging gas by 2020 . Growers are still using almost 30 tonnes of pesticide each year . They claim alternatives will cripple industry , forcing farmers to $ 200 a punnet .