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Ag Retailers Association seeks clarification from EPA on dicamba decision
The Agricultural Retailers Association is seeking clarification from the EPA after it announced existing stocks of three dicamba products can be used until July 31, despite the recent court ruling vacating the registrations.
Richard Gupton is the senior vice president of public policy and counsel.
“We still have some questions related to how this can be implemented, particularly since their date goes back to the June 3 court date and you’ve had over the past several days a large number of states continuing to allow the sale and use of the product,” he says.
He says the association is also asking the EPA to request an emergency Stay order of the court ruling so the industry can continue to operate.”
“It’s right in the middle of application season,” he says. “It’s impacting millions of acres, millions of dollars and it’s kind of a critical time here.”
Gupton says some other questions the association would like answered include possession of the herbicide in cases where farmers prepaid, but the product is being stored at the dealer location. He says the court also mentioned alternative products, but there “aren’t enough alternative products to come close to having the same effectiveness on weed control.”
He says the Agricultural Retail Association is appreciative of EPA’s effort to address the issue under the existing stocks provision. But, Gupton says the industry has been placed in uncharted territory because of the immediacy of the cancellation order following the court’s ruling.
Audio: Richard Gupton
