ASTA Weighs in on New Phytosanitary Measures

Kelly MarshallAg Group, ASTA, Audio, Regulation, seed, trade

Last week the seed industry announced good news in the form of the International Standard for Phytosanitary Measures (ISPM), a world wide attempt to put seed regulations on the same page. Ric Dunkle, Senior Director of Seed Health and Trade for the American Seed Trade Association (ASTA) was at the International Plant Protection Convention in Korea when the standards were … Read More

#ARA2016 Year in Review from CEO Daren Coppock

Kelly MarshallAg Group, ARA, Government, Regulation

The Agricultural Retailers Association Convention & Expo heard from CEO, Daren Coppock with the President’s report and review of the year. He couldn’t begin without talking about the election, Coppock said. “This opens up some unexpected avenues for us. It was a surprising outcome in a number of ways. But if we look at implications for our industry there are … Read More

FMC Helps #CAPCA16 Fight Fear

Cindy ZimmermanAudio, CAPCA, EPA, FMC, Food, Pesticides, Regulation

How will the agriculture industry grow an increasing amount of safe, healthy food in an environment of more stringent regulations coupled with less water? This question was answered by John Kasper, commercial business unit director for FMC Corporation, during the opening session of the 42nd annual California Association of Pest Control Advisers. The sold-out event focused on feeding a nation … Read More

Senators Release Statement on Clean Water Act

Kelly MarshallEPA, Government, Regulation

U.S. Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.), chairman of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, has released a report that outlines the gross overreach of the EPA and the Army Corps of Engineers in enforcing the Clean Water Act.  The report describes how these groups have expanded the interpretation of their authority to regulate ‘waters of the U.S.’ “The case studies presented … Read More

Syngenta Settles with EPA

Kelly MarshallAgribusiness, EPA, Regulation, Syngenta

Syngenta Crop Protection has reached a settlement agreement with the EPA for alleged violations of the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act.  The agreement states that Syngenta will pay $766,508 in civil penalties and spend $436,990 on a Supplemental Environmental Project. “The repackaging, sale and distribution of unregistered and misbranded pesticides is illegal and puts people and the environment at … Read More

NCGA Asks EPA to Delay Pesticide Review

Kelly MarshallAg Group, EPA, Government, Pesticides, Regulation

The EPA has scheduled an April 19-21 meeting of the Science Advisory Panel to review the use of the pesticide chlorpyrifos.  Forty-two ag groups, including the National Corn Growers Association, have responded to this action by sending a letter to EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy.  The organizations say the meeting was “hastily called” and is an attempt to “fundamentally alter [the … Read More

Ag Groups Ask to Join EPA Lawsuit

Kelly MarshallAg Group, EPA, Pesticides, Regulation, seed

The American Soybean Association as well as CropLife America, the American Seed Trade Association, the Agricultural Retailers Association, the National Cotton Council of America, the National Association of Wheat Growers and the National Corn Growers Association have joint an industry coalition and petitioned a federal court to allow them to join the Anderson v. McCarthy lawsuit. The suit, brought to … Read More

Sen. Thune on What Now for WOTUS

Cindy ZimmermanARA, Audio, Government, Regulation, water

Sen. John Thune (R-SD) was named one of the Legislators of the Year this week by the Agricultural Retailers Association (ARA) and he spent some time with organization leaders on Tuesday talking about industry priorities. One priority for all of agriculture is the EPA’s Waters of the United States or WOTUS, which was the subject of a disapproval resolution passed … Read More

Lawmakers Ask FDA to Help Farmers with FSMA

Cindy ZimmermanGovernment, NFU, Regulation, Safety

Senator Chris Murphy and Rep. Rosa DeLauro, both Democrats from Connecticut, this week joined with 12 other members of Congress in calling for the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to implement programs to help family farmers and ranchers comply with the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA). In letters to FDA Acting Commissioner Dr. Stephen Ostroff, the lawmakers stressed the importance … Read More