Mini-malists
July 11, 2011 In past columns, I’ve often referred to the old Chinese proverb that says “may you live in interesting times.” Sometimes, this proverb is referred to as a curse because it implies massive shake-ups and/or upheavals in the world around all of us.
Given how the next month might play out, most in the ag retail community will most likely agree with the later view of this saying. This will be particularly true when it comes to the changes ahead for handling Intermediate Bulk Containers, more commonly called mini-bulks by industry folks.
As most owners and managers in our business are aware, new government rules regulating the use of mini-bulks go into effect in about one month, on August 17. These regs come from the EPA Office of Pesticide Programs and state that all mini-bulks used by ag retailers to transport crop protection products must adhere to strict rules regarding their use, cleaning and disposal/recycling. More information on the exact requirements can be obtained by visiting the www.epa.gov and www.croplifeamerica.org Websites.
Of course, none of this should be news to ag retailers. These regulation changes have been in the works since the mid-2000s, and government spokespeople such as Nancy Fitz, chemical engineer for EPA’s Office of Pesticide Programs, have been discussing them in open forum and at industry events for many years.
Despite this fact, many ag retailers seem to only now be scrambling to find out more about the mini-bulk rule changes and trying to adapt to the them before the August 17 deadline rolls around. As one participant in the recent Mini-Bulk Summit Part 2 put it, many ag retailers have the attitude that “I’ll worry about [these regulation changes] on August 10.”
Part of this indifference could be a by-product of past government rule changes, which have tended to have their implementation timetables extended at the last minute. Speakers at the Mini-Bulk Summit assured attendees this was unlikely to happen with the new mini-bulk regulations.
Furthermore, based on what some state association leaders said, a good portion of their members aren’t ready for the changes. “The majority of retailers in my state are not prepared,” said Kathy Zander, executive director of the South Dakota Agri-Business Association.
Jim Byrum, president of the Michigan Agri-Business Association, echoed this view, adding that getting growers to “follow rules they believe they are exempt from” when handling mini-bulks could be an even bigger challenge. He also wondered aloud if the industry shouldn’t consider the creation of some kind of shared database using bar code technology as a way to track mini-bulks in the distribution pipeline.
The bottom line is that ag retailers need to consider how they will respond to these changes. Many older mini-bulks probably won’t be compliant without expensive upgrades.
With one month to go, the clock is ticking. Are you ready for it to go off?
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