American Soybean Association welcomes US EPA approval of new crop-protection tools

The American Soybean Association welcomed July 30 the U.S. EPA’s long-awaited approval of new and innovative crop-protection technologies to support soybean-production efficiency, providing farmers with additional tools to effectively manage weeds, protect crop yields and enhance regenerative-farming practices.

“We appreciate EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin and the agency for advancing registrations for a suite of new crop-protection tools to ensure U.S. farmers have access to cutting-edge technologies that promote efficient agriculture production,” said ASA President Scott Metzger, a soybean farmer from Ohio. “Soybean farmers across the country continue to combat new and mounting challenges related to weeds and other pest diseases. To produce the world’s most environmentally efficient and reliable soybeans, crop-protection tools must evolve in alongside modernizing farm practices, making access to these innovative crop-protection technologies critical to maintaining the competitive advantage of U.S. soybeans.”

The EPA approval of new crop-protection tools follows President Donald Trump’s signing of an executive order to promote regenerative agriculture and support farm resilience, which directed EPA to ensure access to modern farming products through timely review and approval of registrations.

ASA said it appreciates President Trump for prioritizing timely, science-based regulatory decisions through his executive order, which recognizes that crop-protection tools are essential to adopting regenerative-agriculture practices, including planting cover crops to improve soil health.

“Today’s approvals are an important step forward, and ASA encourages EPA to continue building on this momentum by advancing additional science-based registrations that provide soybean farmers with the innovative tools they need to remain productive, competitive and sustainable,” the association stated.