Blake Hurst considers glyphosate to be one of the most valuable crop production tools available in his farming toolbox.
The northwest Missouri farmer expressed concerns, during a media briefing hosted by Modern Ag Alliance, that the popular weed-control product would be targeted by the Make America Healthy Again report.
Hurst was right to be concerned.
Three technologies – glyphosate, atrazine and chloripyrifos – were called out in the Report, albeit via comments buried on page 35 of the 68-page document. The Report referenced the three weed-control chemistries as part of its list of products that can contribute to chronic disease in children.
In response to the Report, the National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) said it has spent the ensuing months “sounding the alarms about the MAHA Commission’s focus on herbicides.”
The association sponsored a farmer survey between June 17 and July 2 to assess farmer sentiment about glyphosate and atrazine, specifically.
The two products are used extensively in U.S. corn production to address various grass and broadleaf weeds. Industry estimates are that atrazine is used on about 60% of U.S. corn acres, while glyphosate is applied on nearly all herbicide-treated corn acres – 90.4% in total, according to the National Corn Growers Association.
Farmers and more than 300 agriculture organizations have engaged with the MAHA Commission in recent months to share concerns.
Corn Growers Surveyed Say Weeds Are Their Top Pest
Respondents indicated overwhelmingly – 85% – that weeds are the top pest plaguing their crops and that atrazine and glyphosate were their top two herbicides of choice.
Survey responses were gathered from more than 1,000 farmers nationwide and a summary of the findings was released this week.
“American corn growers say they would face higher costs and reductions in crop yields if they were to lose access to key herbicides like atrazine and glyphosate,” the NCGA reported in a press release.
NCGA said its findings show that if the pesticides in the initial assessment were to disappear completely, crop yields could decrease by more than 70% due to pests, weeds and disease.
“These results are in line with what I am hearing in conversations among farmers,” said Illinois farmer and NCGA President Kenneth Hartman Jr., in a prepared statement. “We are concerned that claims about herbicides in the pending MAHA recommendations could remove access to the tools we need to safely and sustainably produce a crop.”
Farmers Want The Commission To Hear Their Concerns
NCGA said the survey findings reveal high stakes for the MAHA Commission’s next report, a set of policy recommendations expected to be released sometime yet this month, as early as August 12.
The NCGA said the crop protection tools in question have been thoroughly tested by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and other regulatory bodies and shown to be safe for their intended uses.
“Given that the EPA’s robust regulatory process has found these products to be safe when used according to label directions, there is no reason to suggest that they are harmful,” Hartman noted. “Doing so will come at a great cost to farmers and rural America.”
Blake Hurst said that outcome would be likely for his Missouri operation.
“As a corn and soybean farmer, I use [glyphosate] to control weeds, keep my yields up and my costs down,” Hurst said. “It’s reliable, affordable and effective. Without it, I’d be stuck using alternatives that don’t work as well and might not be as safe.”
Learn More about the Survey Here.
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