"EPA OKs Soybean, Cotton Farmers’ Use of Dicamba Weedkiller"

"Farmers can continue to use dicamba for five years, EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler said Tuesday, offering certainty to cotton and soybean growers who are the most frequent users of the weedkiller make by Bayer AG, BASF SE, and Syngenta AG.

The Environmental Protection Agency approved new registrations for two dicamba products—Bayer’s XtendiMax with VaporGrip Technology and BASF’s Engenia Herbicide—and extended the registration for an additional product, Syngenta’s Tavium Plus VaporGrip Technology.

These registrations are only for use on dicamba-tolerant cotton and soybeans and will expire in 2025.

The Environmental Protection Agency’s decision, however, is likely to frustrate some farmers growing vegetables, fruit, and other crops—including soybeans that aren’t genetically modified to tolerate the herbicide. The Center for Food Safety said it plans to challenge the EPA’s re-registration."

Pat Rizzuto and Justina Vasquez report for Bloomberg News October 27, 2020.

Source: Bloomberg, 10/28/2020