By Scout Nelson
Leaders from the Kansas Corn Growers Association (KCGA) and National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) are voicing concerns over a U.S. Department of Commerce recommendation to impose countervailing duty rates on imports of the herbicide 2,4-D. KCGA President J.D. Hanna from Silver Lake explained that farmers are already dealing with high input costs, and additional government tariffs could worsen the situation.
“In a perfect world, U.S. farmers wouldn’t have to rely on imported inputs like 2,4-D. But imported generic 2,4-D along with other herbicides are important to our efforts to manage weeds. Farmers are already seeing inflationary increases to input costs.
This government action would be another hit to farmers, directly increasing production costs at a time when we are already talking about thin margins instead of profit margins,” Hanna said. He noted that KCGA is actively working with NCGA to address the issue.
KCGA Board Member Tanner McNinch from Ness City highlighted that prices for 2,4-D have already risen dramatically. “We’re already facing higher prices due to inflation, and we are also seeing supply issues. In June, our farm paid a little over $20 per gallon of 2,4-D, and now the lowest price I can find is $29, a 45 percent increase over just a few months—and that’s if you can get it. A tariff would further increase the price and make supply issues even worse,” McNinch said.
Corteva Agriscience, a domestic herbicide producer, filed a petition earlier this year, leading to the investigation. Farmers have expressed concern that domestic supply cannot meet their demand, forcing them to rely on imports. NCGA President Harold Wolle, a farmer from Minnesota, emphasized the importance of affordable access to herbicides like 2,4-D.
This ongoing issue has sparked widespread concern across the agriculture community, with soybean growers also raising alarms about the potential for higher costs and strained supply chains.
Photo Credit:kansas-corn
Categories: Kansas, Crops, Corn, General