June 10, 2020 - The American Farm Bureau Federation commends the swift action by the Environmental Protection Agency to allow farmers who have already purchased dicamba products to use existing stock this season. Last week, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals prohibited the use of three dicamba products, effectively taking them off the market as of June 3, 2020. AFBF President Zippy Duvall wrote a letter to the EPA requesting farmers be allowed to use dicamba this season.

The following statement may be attributed to American Farm Bureau Federation President Zippy Duvall:

“Farmers across the country invested in dicamba-resistant seeds based on the EPA’s previous approval. Millions of acres of crops have already been planted and there’s no turning back. The clarity provided by the EPA provides certainty for farmers who were left wondering how they would protect their crops and stock America’s pantries.”

Background

• The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals banned three dicamba products: XtendiMax, Engenia and FeXapan.
• Stocks of dicamba purchased before June 3, 2020, may be used until July 31, 2020.
• Read President Duvall’s letter to the EPA here.
• Read more on the effects of the dicamba ruling here.
  Source: American Farm Bureau Federation
  
  Related: Federal Court Holds Dicamba Pesticide Unlawful, Citing Unprecedented Drift Damage to Millions of Acres, Center for Biological Diversity Reports