A study from Texas A&M finds U.S. farmers and consumers will be hurt financially and foreign food exporters will reap the benefits if two commonly used groups of pest-fighting crop protectants are eliminated.  Organophosphates and carbamates are under the gun at the Environmental Protection Agency as part of implementation of the Food Quality Protection Act.

The study was sponsored by the American Farm Bureau Federation.  AFBF says the pesticide groups face possible elimination "due to EPA's flawed implementation of the FQPA."  EPA is "hurriedly reviewing organophosphates and carbamates," says AFBF.  In doing so, AFBF contends the agency is relying on incomplete science, grossly inflated use rates and a risk-assessment methods "devoid of any consideration for overall nutrition or the resulting health impact of imported food, over which there is no effective U.S. control regarding chemical use."

Since pesticide residues frequently are absent or undetectable, there is no way to prove foreign products were grown with pesticides banned in the United States.  The study's authors say that, due to higher foreign imports, there actually would be less U.S. control over the use of organophosphates and carbamates than if their use were not banned domestically.

If banned and if imports increase as expected, the U.S. economy production would decline by $17 billion.  Total value added to U.S. farm commodities by processing would decline $10 billion.  Income, for employees, proprietors and others, would decline $19 billion.  Eliminating the pesticides would result in the loss of 209,000 U.S. jobs.

The study also predicted lower yields for corn, 4%; cotton, 14%; rice, 8%; sorghum, 10%; soybeans, 9% and wheat, 1%.  Yields also would be reduced for carrots, grapes, oranges, peaches, potatoes and tomatoes.  Apple growers would take the biggest hit with 38% lower yields and an increase of 66% in per-unit cost of growing domestic apples.

Per-unit production costs would increase 5% for corn, 22% for cotton, 8% for rice, 10% for sorghum, 9% for soybeans and 1% for wheat.

Less competitive prices and a loss of export quality would result in sizeable declines in U.S. farm exports, the study concludes.  Grain sorghum, cotton lint, corn and wheat would realize declining exports.

The report is available on the Internet at http://afpc1.tamu.edu/pesticides.htm.