OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. — Today, Oklahoma Secretary of Agriculture Blayne Arthur issued the following statement in response to yesterday’s ruling by the United States Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals to vacate EPA’s registrations of the herbicide Dicamba:
“As Oklahoma farmers are in their busiest season of doing what they do best—producing food and fiber—the decision by the Ninth Circuit to vacate the registration of Dicamba products brings on tremendous uncertainty and confusion at the most critical period.
Right now, Dicamba is still available for sale and use in Oklahoma and will remain so until federal officials tell us otherwise, but we need to hear from EPA on what farmers can expect in the coming days and weeks. Despite economically challenging times for agriculture, our farmers have invested in these tools for this year’s crop and time is of the essence as our state’s soybean and cotton crops go in the ground.
We are looking to the EPA for much needed clarity about the options our farmers have now and in the future. I urge the EPA to utilize any flexibility available to allow producers to utilize these products and provide guidance as soon as possible.
Retailers, applicators, and farmers need certainty now on their options to utilize existing stocks of Dicamba products in the state of Oklahoma.”
The Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food, and Forestry is responsible for regulating the use and application of pesticides in the state. ODAFF licenses pesticide applicators, administers rules on worker and environmental protection, and registers pesticides offered for sale in Oklahoma.
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