Statement by Steve Nelson, President, Regarding EPA Re-Registration of Dicamba Products

 

LINCOLN, NEB. – “Today’s announcement that EPA will move forward to issue a five-year re-register of dicamba-based products is welcomed news. The decision will ensure these products are available for use by farmers during the 2021 growing season and beyond. Nebraska Farm Bureau has been a strong advocate for re-registration of dicamba products to ensure farmers continue to have crop protection product options. We want to thank EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler for making this decision in a timely fashion as many farmers are in the process of making decisions about herbicide purchases for the upcoming year. We look forward to EPA’s release of complete details.”

 

Background:

On June 3, the U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled against EPA vacating the labels for a series of dicamba-based herbicides (XtendiMax, Engenia, and FeXapan). The ruling was issued in the middle of the application season and well after farmers had made planting decisions and purchases of the products. Nebraska Farm Bureau worked with numerous elected officials and the EPA which ultimately led to EPA issuing cancellation orders for the products, which did allow farmers and commercial applicators to use existing stocks of the product that were in their possession through July 31, 2020. These products would not be allowed to be used in the future without action by EPA to re-register the products.

 

The Nebraska Farm Bureau is a grassroots, state-wide organization dedicated to supporting farm and ranch families and working for the benefit of all Nebraskans through a wide variety of educational, service, and advocacy efforts. More than 58,000 families across Nebraska are Farm Bureau members, working together to achieve rural and urban prosperity as agriculture is a key fuel to Nebraska’s economy. For more information about Nebraska Farm Bureau and agriculture, visit www.nefb.org.