Viewpoint: Environmental trade-offs are more important than knee jerk, feel-good chemophobia — Pistachio growers make the case for paraquat

California farmers operate under one of the strictest regulatory environments in the world. This is not a complaint, it’s simply an acknowledgment of fact.

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The latest errant shot at farmers is Assembly Bill 1963, authored by Asm. Laura Friedman, D-Burbank, an unnecessary and unscientific proposal for a one-off ban on a common, effective herbicide called paraquat, which is used by many California farmers to control a broad spectrum of weeds while minimizing damage to nearby trees.

Many almond and pistachio farmers use paraquat to prepare orchards for harvest. Strictly adhering to California’s safety guidelines, we are required to use a state-certified applicator to apply paraquat to our tree rows to clean out harmful weeds and provide a clean surface before harvesting tree nuts.

When applied under California’s stringent standards, paraquat is a safe, highly effective herbicide that gives California growers a leg up on jurisdictions without the regulatory environment in place for the safe handling of the substance.

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Without access to paraquat, farmers would be forced to use a more costly and carbon-intensive alternative — making several passes with tractors and equipment through each row to disc up and smooth out the surface in preparation.

AB 1963’s proponents want to institute an outright ban on paraquat under the guise of public health claims — including the allegation that exposure to paraquat causes Parkinson’s Disease. But thorough reviews by regulatory agencies, including the U.S. EPA, have found those claims to be unsubstantiated. Even so, agencies, including the California Department of Pesticide Regulations, are continuing to evaluate public health claims — and farmers welcome the increased scrutiny.

This is an excerpt. Read the original post here