Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced two separate actions affecting U.S. wheat growers: the final registration of several new and innovative crop protection tools and a forthcoming effort to gather input from farmers and other agricultural stakeholders on registered pre-harvest desiccation uses.
The new registrations will provide wheat growers with additional tools to manage weeds, protect yields, and support the production of safe, nutritious, high-quality wheat.
Separately, EPA announced that it will seek stakeholder input as the agency reviews available data related to registered pre-harvest desiccation uses. That review follows President Trump’s executive order directing the EPA Administrator to ensure those uses remain aligned with applicable safety and environmental standards, including accurate product labeling.
“NAWG commends EPA for completing the registration process for these important crop protection tools,” said Sam Kieffer, CEO of the National Association of Wheat Growers. “Providing farmers with access to new and innovative technologies gives growers greater certainty and more options to responsibly manage weeds, protect their crops, and remain productive and competitive.
“NAWG also welcomes the opportunity to engage with EPA as it conducts its separate review of registered pre-harvest desiccation uses. This process provides an important opportunity to ensure that discussions surrounding wheat production practices are grounded in science and reflect what actually occurs on farms.
“Unfortunately, public discussions sometimes mischaracterize wheat production practices or fail to recognize the significant regional, environmental, and agronomic differences across wheat-growing states. It is essential that EPA hear directly from wheat farmers about how crop protection products are used, which practices are not commonly used, how production systems vary by region, and what practical alternatives may be available.
“NAWG looks forward to working with EPA throughout this process and encourages the agency to continue relying on rigorous, peer-reviewed science to protect farmers, consumers, and the environment.”
