Several groups were quick to praise word from EPA that the agency was implementing an Existing Stocks Order for use of Dicamba this growing season.
Here’s a sampling as of Wednesday evening:
American Farm Bureau
American Farm Bureau Federation President Zippy Duvall today commented on the Environmental Protection Agency’s decision to allow farmers to use existing stocks of dicamba for the upcoming planting season. AFBF sent a letter to EPA earlier this week following a recent federal court ruling in Arizona, which vacated the registration of three dicamba products, critically important tools for farmers in fighting resistant weeds.
“We are grateful to EPA for hearing farmers’ and ranchers’ concerns and addressing them quickly to ensure we have access to the critical tools needed to protect our crops this season. Without EPA stepping in, farmers and ranchers across the country were facing uncertainty and financial risk.”
American Soybean Association
With millions of dollars of product on the line and few fast alternatives available before spring planting, the American Soybean Association is exceptionally appreciative of the Environmental Protection Agency’s swift actions to issue an existing stocks order and allow farmers planning to use dicamba product for 2024 to receive and use it this season.
Josh Gackle, ASA president and soybean farmer from North Dakota, said, “The court’s decision on dicamba instantly left tens of millions of acres of U.S. farmland in limbo—and in limbo a matter of weeks before spring planting. We appreciate the certainty EPA’s existing stocks order provides to farmers from North Dakota where I farm all the way to Florida and everywhere in between. This ruling potentially affects more than 50 million acres of dicamba-tolerant soybeans and cotton—an area larger than the state of Nebraska—so again, we are very appreciative of EPA’s decision to let us get through the 2024 growing season by using any product already in the delivery pipeline.”
EPA has declared farmers can accept “existing stocks”—previously registered pesticide products currently in the United States that were packaged, labeled, and released for shipment prior to February 6 (the effective date of the District of Arizona’s vacatur of dicamba registrations). The existing stocks order also clarified that dicamba product already in the possession of distributors, co-ops, and other parties for sale before that date can be sold and distributed, within set guidelines outlined in the order.
Ag Retailers of America
The Agricultural Retailers Association (ARA) President and CEO Daren Coppock released the following statement following the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) update related to the Existing Stocks Order for dicamba product registrations:
“ARA is extremely grateful for the quick action taken by EPA to issue an Existing Stocks Order for the dicamba product registrations vacated by the federal court in Arizona on February 6, 2024. This order will allow for the continued distribution, sale, and use of these products within the channels of trade and growers’ possession consistent with the FIFRA approved labels.
“As EPA noted in the order, ARA’s consistent position has been that, absent an EPA order allowing for the limited sale, distribution, and use of existing stocks, there will be unnecessary chaos and economic harm to agricultural retailers, distributors, and the farmers they serve.”
ARA’s grassroots advocacy along with other agricultural organizations working with senior EPA officials shows the value of industry stakeholder involvement in shaping public policy.
National Council of Farmer Coops
The following statement is from Chuck Connor, CEO of the NCFC:
“I would like to express our appreciation for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s action today in issuing an existing stock order for dicamba products whose registration was vacated last week by a federal court in Arizona. By moving quickly and allowing use of product already in the supply chain, EPA is providing some level of certainty for cotton and soybean producers across the country. NCFC and its members will continue to analyze the order in the coming days and we look forward to engaging further with EPA on questions we have on specifics.”
“Farmers are committed to the safe use of all crop protection tools, and many had already made planting decisions with dicamba-tolerant crop systems in place for the season. We rely on science-based guidance from EPA, and we appreciate the agency standing by farmers and science in this decision today.”
