Ohio soybean crop

Feb. 6, the U.S. District Court of Arizona decided that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency unlawfully approved dicamba for use on soybeans and cotton varieties designed with resistance to the herbicide. As it stands, the ruling prohibits the use of dicamba for weed control on American farms for the 2024 growing season.

In response to the court’s decision, American Farm Bureau President Zippy Duvall wrote a letter to EPA Administrator Michael Regan, emphasizing that the products vacated by this ruling, including XtendiMax, Engenia, and Tavium are critically important tools for farmers in mitigating resistant weeds.

“Many farmers have already made planting decisions to use dicamba-tolerant crop systems and have planned to use dicamba products in the very near future,” Duvall wrote. “These farmers invested substantial sums in the dicamba-resistant seeds in reliance on EPA’s prior approval of dicamba on these crops. Without these products, not only are these substantial investments at risk, but farmers do not know how they will protect their crops.”

Duvall stressed that it is imperative EPA expeditiously provide clarity to farmers and asked the agency to issue an existing stock order to ensure the product remains available to farmers throughout this growing season. 

“In the existing stock order, EPA should ensure access to dicamba products that have already been purchased, as well as those that remain in the supply chain to be applied by custom applicators or farmers themselves later in accordance with the current EPA label,” Duvall wrote.

Duvall stressed AFBF does not condone off-label use of dicamba or any registered pesticide, and the organization’s farmer and rancher members are committed to the safe use of all crop protection tools. He added that responsible farmers that have invested in – and often taken loans out to purchase – dicamba-resistant products for the current growing season should not bear the financial burden caused by this legal dispute.

Read the full letter.

The issue of property taxation remains as one of the biggest challenges our members face today. Ensuring agricultural property is valued for its agricultural potential and not development is critical to the continued success of Ohio agriculture.
Matt Aultman's avatar
Matt Aultman

Darke County Farm Bureau

Giving farmers a voice
The plan we are on is great. It’s comparable to my previous job's plan, and we are a sole proprietor.
Kevin Holy's avatar
Kevin Holy

Geauga County Farm Bureau

Ohio Farm Bureau Health Benefits Plan
I could not have done it without the resources I have found through Farm Bureau.
Gretchan Francis's avatar
Gretchan Francis

Trumbull County Farm Bureau

Bringing the farm back to life
We really appreciate what Farm Bureau has done to get people interested in this line of work and workforce development and getting people interested in this industry.
Jody Brown Boyd's avatar
Jody Brown Boyd

Brown's Family Farm Market

Finding farm labor
We work terrifically with the Ashtabula County Farm Bureau, hosting at least one to two outreach town hall events every year to educate new farmers and existing farmers on traditional CAUV and woodlands.
David Thomas's avatar
David Thomas

Ashtabula County Auditor

CAUV: Past, present and future
Because we are younger farmers just starting out, Farm Bureau has a lot of good opportunities and resources to help us grow in the future.
Hannah Kiser's avatar
Hannah Kiser

Sandusky County Farm Bureau

Farm Bureau involvement
Through the Select Partner program, we became educated in farm insurance and weren't just selling policies. It became more and more clear why farmers need an advocate like Ohio Farm Bureau.
Chad Ruhl's avatar
Chad Ruhl

Farm manager, CSI Insurance

Select Partner Program
So many of the issues that OFBF and its members are advocating for are important to all Ohioans. I look at OFBF as an agricultural watchdog advocating for farmers and rural communities across Ohio.
Mary Smallsreed's avatar
Mary Smallsreed

Trumbull County Farm Bureau

Advocacy
Suggested Tags: