Local farmer [Hickman, Ky.], Jacob Goodman, says thousands of acres of crops have been damaged by an herbicide he didn’t use.
“The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency says it received hundreds of complaints from several different states about dicamba, a weed-killing chemical, suspected of ruining soybeans.
“‘We have sprayed products side-by-side one another for years with minimal issue, occasionally you’ll see some drift,’ says Goodman. ‘But now, we’re seeing products that are being sprayed side-by-side to one another and entire fields are being damaged by it.'”
Ms. Clark noted that, “Dicamba isn’t new but Goodman says some farmers are using it in a new way this year: spraying it over soybeans that are genetically modified to withstand the chemical. But not every farmer grows the same beans, Goodman included. He says the chemical drifted onto his soybeans and now 2,300 acres are damaged; a potential loss of nearly $400,000.”
The article added that, “The Kentucky Department of Agriculture says it received 10 complaints about damages from suspected dicamba drift. Goodman says many local farmers are not reporting their damages because they don’t want their neighbors to face fines.”
