In This Issue:

• Barley Acreage
• NBGA Comments on Prevented Planting Rules
• NBGA Comments on EPA's Vulnerable Species Pilot Project
• NBGA Supports Uniformity in Labeling Act
• Research Shows Importance of Glyphosate to Agriculture
• China Tariff Action Could Restore Normalcy to Barley Trade Flows

Barley Acreage

The FSA Planted Acreage report released on August 9^th shows barley planted acres at 2,916,310, which is below the 3.36 million acres estimated by the National Ag Statistics Service (NASS) in their June 30^th planted acreage report. The June 30^th NASS report projected Harvested area at 2.53 million acres. 

NBGA Comments on Prevented Planting Rules

NBGA submitted comments to the USDA Risk Management Agency (RMA) in response to their request for input on Prevented Planting policies. RMA also held a listening session on August 8^th in Fargo, ND that was attended by representatives of North Dakota Barley Council.

NBGA’s comments can be viewed here.  

NBGA Comments on EPA's Vulnerable Species Pilot Project



The past few months have seen the release of EPA’s Vulnerable Species Pilot Project and the Herbicide Strategy. This all started in 2021 in response to the escalating challenges of EPA fulfilling its Endangered Species Act (ESA) obligations for pesticide decisions. In April 2022, EPA released its workplan to address the complexity of meeting its ESA obligations for actions taken under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA). This comprehensive workplan establishes four overall strategies and dozens of actions that EPA will adopt to improve protection for federally threatened and endangered (listed) species and meet ESA obligations.

The ESA Workplan identifies several pilot projects to provide earlier protections for listed species. These pilots include the “EPA Vulnerable Species Pilot Project,” to identify early mitigation for listed species that EPA has determined are particularly vulnerable to pesticide effects. In late June 2023 EPA released a draft white paper on the Vulnerable Species Pilot. The draft describes how EPA: 1) selected these listed species, 2) developed and evaluated proposed mitigations, and 3) developed an implementation plan to reduce their exposure to outdoor uses of conventional pesticides. It also describes EPA’s current thinking on a potential future expansion plan of this approach to additional listed species.

NBGA comments can be viewed here.

More information on the pilot projects can be found here: Implementing EPA’s Workplan to Protect Endangered and Threatened Species from Pesticides: Pilot Projects | US EPA

NBGA Supports Uniformity in Labeling Act

Recently, some states have begun adding pesticide labeling warnings that conflict with federal law and the science-based findings of the EPA. Because of this, access to tools growers have used for their entire careers, including commonly used pesticides, could be in jeopardy. NBGA supports the bipartisan Agricultural Labeling Uniformity Act (HR4288) introduced by Rep. Dusty Johnson (R-SD) and Rep Jim Costa (D-CA) to protect the science-based labels approved by the EPA. 

Research Shows Importance of Glyphosate to Agriculture



Recent research from Aimpoint Research confirms what we in the agriculture industry already know: Glyphosate is critical for modern farming, allowing for effective, cost-efficient, and environmentally friendly growing practices.



See the highlights: https://bit.ly/3CMbT5l

China Tariff Action Could Restore Normalcy to Barley Trade Flows

Recent action by China to remove the 80% tariff on Australian Barley is expected to result in resumption of barley shipments from Australia to China and less Australian barley going to Mexico. Reports indicate the Chinese government will now allow Australia’s two largest barley producers, CBH Group and Emerald Grain, to resume barley shipments to China. This development along with Heineken’s/MaltEurope’s new malt plant coming online in October should result in additional U.S. barley to Mexico.