Industry urges US Congress to act as pesticide review delays stall $500 million in products

A coalition of pesticide manufacturers and agri-tech firms is urging Congress to fully fund the US Environmental Protection Agency’s pesticide program, warning that prolonged regulatory delays are sidelining over $500 million worth of crop protection products.

The Council of Producers and Distributors of Agrotechnology (CPDA), representing companies in the pesticide and agri-input sector, said that the EPA’s Office of Pesticide Programs (OPP) is operating below capacity due to insufficient funding and internal inefficiencies. The group, part of the broader PRIA Coalition, is pressing lawmakers to allocate the $166 million authorized under the Pesticide Registration Improvement Act of 2022 (PRIA 5).

“We appreciate Administrator Zeldin’s leadership and the renewed focus on reducing the pesticide review backlog,” said CPDA President and CEO Terry Kippley. “But without full funding, farmers remain without timely access to critical crop protection tools.”

The Biden administration has proposed a $10 million boost to support internal restructuring of the Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention, aiming to streamline the registration process. The coalition supports the move but cautions that process reforms alone will not resolve bottlenecks without the accompanying statutory funding.

The coalition’s recent letter to the House Appropriations Subcommittee underscores the impact of the backlog on agricultural productivity, innovation, and market access. “Getting these products into the hands of farmers is essential for food security and environmental stewardship,” Kippley added.