IARN — Judges presiding over a case involving the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently issued further guidance, in regards to the use of three dicamba products.
The United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit late Friday denied an emergency motion to halt use of dicamba products, newly revoked registrations. The court’s decision aligns with a cancellation order passed down by the Environmental Protection Agency earlier this month, which allows growers to use existing stocks, in their possession on June 3, 2020 through July 31, 2020.
American Soybean Association (ASA) members are “relieved to use this tool, at least through the end of the growing season,” says Caleb Ragland, chairman of the American Soybean Association regulatory committee.
“The loss of dicamba products would have been devastating for soybean and cotton farmers, who were midstream (and) had most crops planted,” Ragland said. “Billions of dollars have been invested in these technologies and traits, and (to) have that tool taken away from us midstream was a slap in the face and devastating.”
The long-term outlook is “concerning,” says Ragland. American Soybean Association members and staff, however, will further advocate for “reasonable regulations,” as well as maintaining existing tools, designed to combat herbicide resistant weeds.
“The best thing we can do right now is fight to keep the tools we have access to and defend the regulatory process we go through to bring these tools to growers,” Ragland said. “This process has been in place for years; there are many steps to it. It has been proven that we have a safe food supply in this country, and we have made much progress in cleaning up our environment.”
Story courtesy of the Iowa Agribusiness Radio Network.
