Potential Economic Effects of Banning Cotton Pesticides: Preliminary Results of the USDA/State Cotton Assessment

Craig Osteen, Ron Davis and Kent Smith


 
ABSTRACT

USDA and cooperators from the State Universities initiated an assessment of cotton pesticide benefits, because pesticide regulatory actions can have major impacts on cotton production. This paper presents estimates of economic effects of hypothetical bans of several important cotton pesticides, based on cotton assessment information. In general, it was found that banning a single cotton pesticide would cause relatively small aggregate economic losses, because cost-effective alternatives often would be available. Despite that, isolated groups of farmers or production regions could suffer severe losses, because effective alternatives would not be available for their atypical pest problems and growing conditions. In addition, sequentially banning effective alternatives for major pest problems or members of important pesticide families would ultimately result in severe aggregate losses.



Reprinted from 1992 Proceedings Beltwide Cotton Conferences pp. 423 - 425
©National Cotton Council, Memphis TN

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Document last modified Sunday, Dec 6 1998