ARA Members Lock In Policy Priorities

In February, ag retailers, manufacturers and farmers were again faced with uncertainty leading into the planting season when a federal district court in Arizona vacated over-the-top applications of dicamba-tolerant soybeans and cotton. This decision dropped at the worst time for our industry—after farmers had made decisions about which varieties of cotton and soybean seeds to plant and agricultural retailers had begun stocking the seed and herbicides their growers need.

The Agricultural Retailers Association (ARA) took immediate action to voice disagreement with the decision. The association wrote to the EPA with recommendations to diminish disruption and conveyed questions from impacted ARA members. 

In the letter, ARA urged the EPA to take the following actions to mitigate economic harm to ag retailers and their farmer-customers:

• Appeal the decision, and request an immediate stay of the order pending appeal.
• Issue final cancellation orders to allow product that had been manufactured and was already ready for sale on the date of the decision to be distributed, sold and used under an existing stocks directive, and continue to allow the sale of product still located at a registrant’s facilities.
• Issue an emergency use label if there are known product shortages and no alternative products available to meet this season’s needs. 
   

As the situation changes, ARA is prepared to work with agency officials to minimize adverse impact while providing clarity to members that are ag retailers and suppliers.

What’s Next?
The disruption that was caused by the dicamba vacatur is unlikely to be the only hurdle ag retailers face this year. So much in our industry is changing—from regulations to new technologies and crop input practices.

However, ARA remains focused on the issues most likely to impact the ag retailer’s bottom line. By collaborating with its membership, ARA has identified this year’s public policy priorities that will steer its grassroots advocacy efforts.

Some of the priorities include:

1. Reauthorizing the Farm Bill
Ag retailers and distributors play a vital role in providing farmers with the right crop inputs at the right time despite a short planting time frame—all while offering crop consulting services and custom pesticide and fertilizer application services. ARA is working to protect the tools farmers need to deliver a secure and affordable food supply chain by advocating for the inclusion of the Plant Biostimulant Act of 2023, Increased Technical Service Providers Access Act of 2023, the preservation of the crop insurance program and more in the 2024 farm bill. 

2. Protecting Modern Ag Technologies
Because farmers need reliable access to crop input supplies and precision ag technologies, ARA and its members support codifying oversight of pesticide registrations and regulations at the EPA and state agencies to ensure the federal government makes decisions based on sound science, peer-reviewed data and a risk-based approach. More investment in research and development is critical to further enhance crop yields and plant health. 

3. Relieving Transportation & Supply Chain Challenges
Transportation and supply chain disruptions continue to top the list of concerns in ag retail. ARA is advocating for modernizing the nation’s freight rail, trucking and inland waterway systems by supporting:

• Reauthorization of the Surface Transportation Board to include provisions addressing rising demurrage and detention costs to shippers and increased competition.
• Reauthorization of the Water Resources Development Act, which authorizes waterway projects to improve the nation’s ports, harbors and inland waterways.
• Expansion of the Safe Driver Apprenticeship Pilot Program by allowing more 18- to 20-year-old drivers to participate.
• Reform hours of service to eliminate the planting and harvesting seasonal provisions, and authorize a pilot program for farm supply transporters to operate up to a 200-air-mile radius.
• Reform the additional farm-related restricted CDL program.
   

4. Ensuring an All-of-the-Above Energy Approach
ARA works with industry coalitions to advocate for federal energy policies that increase domestic natural gas production, reduce U.S. manufacturing costs for crop input materials and develop and use renewable fuels to reduce dependence on foreign energy sources. Any cuts to the renewable fuel standard will take a devastating toll on rural economies and stifle investment in ethanol plants.

Policy Priorities on The Hill
With public policy priorities locked in, ARA and its members shift focus to the annual fly-in this March when ARA members will meet with their elected officials in Congress to advocate for policies that support ag retailers in their critical role in our nation’s food security. One voice in Washington may not make a difference, but all our voices together can move the needle.