Release:

Georgia Agriculture Commissioner Disappointed with Dicamba Ruling

Georgia Agriculture Commissioner Gary W. Black is asserting his displeasure at the decision by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit to vacate dicamba registrations.

“We strongly disagree with the 9th Circuit’s decision, which is likely to cause devastation within our agricultural community,” said Commissioner Black. “Georgia farmers made tens of millions of dollars’ worth of business decisions six months ago relying on the sanctity of federal rule, and this decision unfairly attempts to change the rules after the race has started.”

Citing drift concerns, the ruling from a three-judge panel of the federal appeals court in San Francisco overturned the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s approval of the use of dicamba, a weed killer used on millions of acres of soybean and cotton crops.

“The partnership we have led for over five years involving our producers, EPA and the University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, has proven beyond a shadow of a doubt that proper training and rigid, science-based best management practices fully support the safety of this technology.”

The consequences for weed control this summer could be serious if the ruling stands.

“Farm families across this nation need every tool possible in their toolbox,” said Commissioner Black. “This decision must be challenged.”