Associated Press writer Andrew Demillo reported yesterday that, “Arkansas lawmakers recommended regulators move forward Tuesday with efforts to ban an herbicide that farmers in several states say has drifted onto their crops and caused damage, advancing the prohibition despite a lawsuit by a maker of the weed killer.
“A legislative subcommittee supported the state Plant Board’s proposal to ban the use of dicamba from April 16 through Oct. 31. The proposed ban is scheduled to go before the Legislative Council, the Legislature’s main governing body when lawmakers aren’t in session, for a final vote on Friday.
“The Plant Board earlier this month stood by the proposed ban after lawmakers urged the panel to consider revising the proposal.”
Mr. Demillo noted that, “Lawmakers endorsed the ban after hearing from farmers who have been sharply divided over the restriction. The Plant Board last year approved a temporary ban on the herbicide’s sale and use, and has received nearly 1,000 complaints about dicamba. Farmers have also complained about dicamba causing damage to their crops in other states, including Mississippi, Missouri, North”‘Dakota and Tennessee.
“We are only asking for a pause in this until we get our hands around this and figure out what we can do,’ David Wildy, a farmer from east Arkansas, told the panel. ‘We can’t allow this to happen again.'”
