An appeals board for the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has upheld the decision to cancel registration for Bayer’s insecticide flubendiamide, marketed in the U.S. as Belt®, but retailers are being permitted to sell existing stocks to growers.

While Bayer intends to comply with the order, it will fully review the EAB’s decision and evaluate its options going forward. “Bayer maintains the EPA’s actions on flubendiamide are unlawful and inconsistent with sound regulatory risk assessment practices,” said Dana Sargent, Bayer’s Vice President of Regulatory Affairs. “The science supporting the registration of flubendiamide may be complex, but it is solid, and it’s unfortunate that we were denied the opportunity to argue the scientific merits of our case. You cannot use the regulatory process as a shield to avoid engaging in meaningful dialogue, but that is exactly what the EPA has done.”

Sargent expressed Bayer’s appreciation to organizations including Crop Life America, Agriculture Retailers Association, American Soybean Association, and others that “signed amici in support of a sound science regulatory process.”

Growers, retailers and distributors with questions about this issue, should contact their local Bayer Field Sales Representative, or call 1-866-99-BAYER (1-866-992-2937).