The U.S. Court of Appeals recently concluded two opinions on chlorpyrifos and glyphosate. Last week, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit struck down the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)’s decision to place a sweeping ban on chlorpyrifos, finding it “arbitrary and capricious.” Background: In August 2021, the EPA published its Final Rule in response to the Ninth…
Western Growers joined approximately 160 representatives from the specialty crop industry including commodity representatives, university researchers and government representatives in Cary, NC to prioritize residue, product performance and integrated solutions research projects for 2024. Interregional Research Project No. 4 (IR-4) helps specialty crop growers address pest management concerns…
In a letter to Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, Western Growers and other leading business organizations requested that the Net Investment Income Tax – which primarily impacts small and family-run businesses – not be expanded. “In the face ...
On Monday, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) held a public forum in Maryland to seek perspectives of stakeholders on their upcoming initiative called “A New Era of Smarter Food Safety.” FDA gathered all sectors of the food industry to gain insights on traceability and outbreak responses, smarter tools for prevention, retail modernization and food ...
In March, President Trump signed the CARES Act into law, which included the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). Congressional intent of the CARES Act was to allow for continued payroll deductibility, even for the amount forgiven under the PPP loan program. However, the IRS later issued a notice that the forgiven PPP loan amounts are not ...
The Biden Administration has signaled an intent to offset costs for the infrastructure plan in part through increased tax liabilities on America’s farming operations. While it is perhaps now more important than ever to maintain estate tax exemptions for farmers to keep family farms in business to keep feeding this nation, we cannot reduce the ...
On October 27, 2021, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) published an Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (ANPRM) on “Heat Injury and Illness Prevention in Outdoor and Indoor Work Settings.” The ANPRM provides information on heat stress in both indoor and outdoor workplaces and shares prevention measures. Importantly, OSHA seeks public comment on heat ...
Today, the Supreme Court blocked enforcement of U.S. President Joe Biden’s COVID-19 vaccine-or-test mandate for workers at large businesses. According to Politico, “while challenges to the mandates from businesses and Republican-led states were returned to lower courts, the ruling suggests that the justices are likely to rule against the business rule if the case reaches ...
Western Growers has joined the Alliance for a New Immigration Consensus, a bipartisan coalition calling on the White House and members of Congress to enact immigration reform. In a letter sent to Congressional leadership on March 2, ANIC wrote: “This Alliance believes that Congress and the White House can come together on immigration reforms that ...
Pesticides continue to be a divisive issue, both in Washington and in the West. On one side, they provide much needed respite from the myriad challenges facing the produce industry, while on the other, environmental advocates push to restrict their use for concerns over the health and environmental issues. To help you remain up to ...
By Jonathan Sarager, Federal Government Affairs Director Specialty crop growers face many pressures, not the least of which is the constant struggle to keep pests at bay. Whether producers utilize conventional or organic farming methods, they continue to require an effective set of tools including pesticides, herbicides, and fungicides to assist in the safe and ...
President Biden recently shared his “Path Out of the Pandemic” memorandum, including the plan to task the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) with drafting a rule to require vaccinations in the workforce known as the Emergency Temporary Standards (ETS). The ETS would require employers with over 100 employees to either ensure vaccination of all ...
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) will extend the amendments to certain regulations regarding H–2A workers to August 2023, to provide employers flexibility in hiring workers during the COVID-19 pandemic. Through this temporary final rule, DHS will allow employees with valid extension of stay H-2A petitions to begin work with a new employer immediately ...