The Florida Fruit & Vegetable Association (FFVA) submitted comments to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in support of the proposed federal registration of aldicarb on Florida oranges and grapefruit.
“Prior to the business-strategy decision by the previous registrant to voluntarily remove aldicarb from the market in 2010, this insecticide was considered a cornerstone of immediate and long-term sustainable production for citrus crops,” FFVA’s comments stated. “Historical research has shown that net returns for mature citrus trees that receive a single aldicarb application can be as much as $500 greater per acre (± 25%) than net returns for identical acreage that uses alternative pest control options.”
FFVA added that following an application of aldicarb, the resulting increased yields for 3-year-old trees more than covered the additional cost of applying the product.
FFVA’s comments stated, in part: “The devastation of the Florida citrus sector caused by HLB, and the potential for aldicarb to help preserve the industry, weighed heavily in favor of EPA’s initial conditional registration of the product a few years ago. The Florida citrus industry once again seeks the incorporation of sound science into federal and state decision-making processes with respect to the registration of aldicarb on oranges and grapefruits, as well as an evaluation system that is credible, transparent, protective of human health, the environment, and non-target and endangered/threatened species, that is legally defensible.”
In April 2021, the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services denied the use of aldicarb in Florida oranges and grapefruit. See industry reactions to that denial. Following the decision, the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia rejected the EPA’s January 2021 approval of aldicarb. Subsequently, the registrant completed a required analysis and once again reinitiated the federal registration process.
Source: Florida Fruit & Vegetable Association
Share this Post
Sponsored Content