EPA chlorpyrifos ban goes into effect; glyphosate may be in short supply because of manufacturing problem

The Environmental Protection Agency's ban on using the insecticide chlorpyrifos on food crops went into effect Monday.

"The EPA in August decided to ban nearly all uses of the pesticide, which has been widely used to grow crops like fruits, vegetables, nuts, corn and wheat, but was also linked to neurological problems in children. The August order set the pesticide on track to be phased out from usage on food crops after six months, making Feb. 28 the official cutoff date," Ximena Bustillo reports for Politico's Weekly Agriculture. "Worker advocates and environmental groups, who have been calling for a ban for over a decade, hailed the move. But numerous agriculture industry groups ultimately sued the EPA over the restrictions — the objections that the agency just denied."

Meanwhile, "Agrichemical giant Bayer is alerting retail partners the company may not be able to fill some glyphosate contracts this spring, due to a supplier's manufacturing problem," Emily Unglesbee reports for DTN/The Progressive Farmer. "According to letters sent from the company that DTN has obtained, Bayer is declaring this a 'force majeure' event, a term used to describe an uncontrollable event that prevents a party from fulfilling a contract. The situation could leave some farmers who are awaiting glyphosate deliveries on shaky ground."