US Agriculture Groups Push Back on Federal Pesticide Restrictions

The Minor Crop Farmer Alliance (MCFA) submitted comments to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on the agency’s draft Endangered Species Act fungicide strategy. MCFA praised recent improvements but urged further refinements, arguing that the EPA’s drift‑model assumptions for orchard airblast applications do not reflect the dense canopy of evergreen crops such as citrus. The alliance called for more realistic risk‑assessment modeling, greater recognition of drift‑reduction technologies, flexibility for airblast sprays, and continued support for fungicide‑treated seed and education resources.

The Montana Farm Bureau Federation (MFBF) also sent formal comments, this time to the USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) regarding its draft Environmental Impact Statement for grasshopper and Mormon cricket control. MFBF warned that limiting the use of established chemical insecticides and cost‑sharing mechanisms would jeopardize livestock and crop production across Montana’s mixed‑ownership lands. The group emphasized the effectiveness of EPA‑registered insecticides applied through Reduced Area and Agent Treatments (RAATs) and urged the agency to retain proven tools while expanding support for producers facing severe pest infestations.