In this episode of “The Business of Blueberries,” host Kasey Cronquist, president of the U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council (USHBC) and the North American Blueberry Council (NABC), is joined by Dr. Frank Wong, director of stakeholder relations at Bayer, and Alyssa Houtby, NABC director of government affairs. Before joining Bayer, Wong was an associate specialist in cooperative extension and a plant pathologist at the University of California, Riverside. He has also served as the American Phytopathological Society's subject matter expert for the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), providing information on plant diseases and disease management. Wong and Houtby discuss upcoming changes to EPA policies regarding pesticide and herbicide use.

“It's the public's problem. It is the grower's problem. It is the pesticide manufacturer's problem. And it is EPA’s problem. If we don't figure out a way to solve this, that means that essentially the majority of pesticides … registrations could be vacated … . And for sure a lot of the efforts that I think blueberry growers should be doing right now is just being aware that all this is happening, and there are opportunities right now for their input to change the policy.” – Dr. Frank Wong

Topics covered include:

• An introduction to Wong and Houtby and their work.
• A discussion of the changes to EPA policies regarding pesticide and herbicide use that could impact blueberry producers.
• Where to learn more about the Endangered Species Act (WSSA.net) and how to view a story map that covers the evolution of the ESA and its intersection and interaction with the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA).

Crop Report

The Blueberry Crop Report is an update on crop conditions and markets throughout important blueberry growing areas. Today you’ll hear from TJ Hafner in Oregon, Luis Vegas in Peru, and Mario Ramirez in Mexico. This was recorded on September 19, 2024.