Council of Producers & Distributors of Agrotechnology

Terry Kippley, CPDA

August 1, 2024

In this Issue:

• Endangered Species Act: Drift Reduction Adjuvants (DRA) and Mitigation
• Fiscal Year 2025 Appropriations
• Farm Bill Coalition Letter
• Farm Bureau Midwest Legislative Conference
• Great American Farm Fair
• CPDA Subitted N-methylpyrrolidone (NMP) Brief
• PRIA Quarterly Stakeholder Meeting
• 2024 CPDA Annual Meeting

Endangered Species Act: Drift Reduction Adjuvants (DRAs) and Mitigation

GOOD NEWS: On July 25, EPA released their draft Insecticide Strategy which included mitigation measures addressing spray drift and erosion. The strategy is in response to federal courts ruling that EPA has shirked its legal duty under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) to analyze the impacts of pesticides on listed species. The herbicide and insecticide strategies are similar, proposing menus of mitigation options growers can choose from to achieve the required species protection. The final Herbicide Strategy is expected by the end of August.



Included in the draft Insecticide Strategy is a mitigation options document. The use of DRAs to reduce no-spray buffers for insecticide applications is “under evaluation.” The use of DRAs to reduce no-spray buffers for herbicide applications is between 15-30%. (Table 4-7 on page 26 of the proposal). While CPDA appreciates that EPA recognizes and values DRAs as a mitigation tool, we have more work to do regarding the agency’s interpretation of our data. CPDA will review the draft strategy and provide comments.

On July 22, CPDA co-signed a letter with over three hundred agricultural groups urging EPA to work with stakeholders to reform its ESA assessment processes for pesticides. In a letter signed by 318 organizations representing hundreds of thousands of farmers, the groups contend farmers and other pesticide users will face significant and costly restrictions without reforms. Further, EPA may not be meeting its own legal obligations in determining credible risks to listed species. 

Fiscal Year 2025 Appropriations

On July 24, the House passed the Fiscal Year 2025 Interior and Environment Appropriations bill before adjourning for the August recess. The next day, the Senate Appropriations Committee passed its version of the FY 25 funding bill. Unlike the House bill that includes flat funding, the Senate Appropriations bill includes $138.277 million for EPA’s Office of Pesticide Programs, an increase of $4 million over the FY 24 appropriation. The bill also includes $1.1 million for Fish & Wildlife Service for pesticide consultations.

Lawmakers return from their August recess on September 9 where they will have precious few days to pass a short-term continuing resolution (CR) by October 1 to prevent a government shutdown. While conventional wisdom would punt funding decisions until the lame duck session after the election, some members are wanting to push the CR out until March 2025.

Farm Bill Coalition Letter

On July 22, CPDA joined more than 530 other organizations urging Congress to pass a new Farm Bill before the end of the year.

The letter was sent to Congressional leadership to include House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA), Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY), House Agriculture Committee Chair G.T. Thompson (R-PA), Ranking Member David Scott (D-GA), Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY), Senate Agriculture Committee Chair Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), and Ranking Member John Boozman (R-AR).

The letter states, in part:

“…We respectfully and strongly urge you to craft a bipartisan farm bill that can pass your respective chambers and be conferenced and enacted in this Congress. We have full confidence that under your leadership and with a bipartisan commitment to the American people, you will enact a 2024 farm bill that continues the exemplary track record of innovative and modernized farm and food policy to meet the challenges of today and tomorrow.”



CPDA continues to walk the halls of Congress seeking inclusion of our Farm Bill priorities to include an adjuvant incentive in the Conservation Title and support for the establishment of adjuvant “Centers of Excellence” at Land-Grant and Historically Black universities to conduct research and training on adjuvant technology and proper application.

Farm Bureau Midwest Legislative Conference

CPDA Strategic Advisor Andrew Walmsley attended Farm Bureau’s Midwest Legislative Conference last week in Kansas. This meeting brought state Farm Bureau legislative staff together from twelve states to share ideas and experiences working agricultural issues at the state level.

Andrew shared CPDA’s policy priorities with the group, including ways to work at the state level to incentivize the use of DRAs as part of a NRCS conservation plan. For some attendees, this was the first time learning about CPDA. With our new focus on collaboration, this is the kind of event that allows us to build our network of allied organizations.

Great American Farm Fair

On July 17, CPDA Senior Strategic Advisor Jay Vroom and CPDA Director of Government Affairs Scott Rawlins attended the Great American Farm Fair in Waterford, Wisconsin. The Fair was one of the events of the Republican National Convention held in nearby Milwaukee.

The event was attended by more than four hundred people from across the country. The focus – not surprisingly – was electing former President Donald Trump and passing a Farm Bill before the end of the year.

Luncheon Speakers included House Agriculture Committee Chair G.T. Thompson, and Senate Agriculture Committee member Roger Marshall. Jay and Scott were able to visit with them as well as other notables to include Mississippi Commissioner of Agriculture Andy Gipson, and Former Ambassador for Food and Agriculture for the United Nations, Kip Tom.

CPDA's Jay Vroom and Scott Rawlins, as well as CPDA member Ethan Mathews of Wilbur-Ellis engaged in discussions with Senator Roger Marshall (KS), Chairman GT Thompson (R-PA) and Congressman David Rouzer (R-NC), among others, at the Great American Farm Fair in Waterford, WI.

CPDA Submitted N-methylpyrrolidone (NMP) Brief

CPDA submitted brief comments this week (concurring with more extensive comments by CLA) on EPA’s proposed TSCA rule regarding use of N-methylpyrrolidone (NMP), an important inert ingredient in some pesticide formulations. While banning of NMP for pesticide use is not imminent, registrants who choose to continue using NMP, this rule would be required to implement a relevant Workplace Chemical Protection Program (WCPP) in formulation facilities. Contact Ray McAllister rsm6consulting@gmail.com for more information. 

PRIA Quarterly Stakeholder Meeting

On July 18, EPA held its quarterly PRIA stakeholder meeting. During the meeting, Office of Pesticide Programs (OPP) Director Ed Messina reviewed the agency’s planned contractor and employee reductions to address the $6 million dollar cut to OPP’s FY 24 operating budget.



During the meeting OPP officials also shared metrics about EPA’s performance on PRIA and non-PRIA actions and mentioned that about 70% of PRIA actions completed so far this year were finished after the PRIA due date. EPA also discussed IT and process improvements including changes to maintenance fee collection notifications and the automation of deficiency letters. Other topics discussed include 75-day letters, bilingual labeling, data evaluation records and registration review.

AgriBusiness Global Trade Summit 2024 Announces Sold-Out Exhibit Hall

AgriBusiness Global ™ is excited to announce that the exhibit hall for the 2024 AgriBusiness Global Trade Summit, taking place at Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort in Florida on 7-8 August, is now sold out. As the premier global sourcing event, the ABG Trade Summit continues to be the trusted forum for participants from across the globe to develop relationships and drive business advancement in the rapidly emerging global crop protection, ag tech, plant health, and biological sectors. 

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Register before room block expires August 15th!

2024 CPDA Annual Meeting & PAC Silent Auction

Make plans to attend the 2024 CPDA Annual Meeting September 15-18 in beautiful San Diego, California. Like the last two annual meetings, we will be holding our annual meeting at the same time CropLife America is holding theirs. To take advantage of this partnership, we will be holding a joint networking reception with CLA where you can reconnect with old friends while making new ones.

Until next time...