Fertilizer licensing system in works in Indiana

Indianapolis, Ind.-A statewide licensing requirement is in the works for as early as next year for anyone who applies any type of fertilizer to 100 or more acres, according to the Indiana Farm Bureau. The state chemist’s office, which has jurisdiction over fertilizer, told Green Markets that the new rule is in the draft stage and no details are available. “At this point, I would like to not have anything in circulation until there is clear direction as to how we will be proceeding,” Fertilizer Administrator Michael Hancock remarked. “That should be more clear after this legislative session, allowing we are afforded authority to fund the program.” Farm Bureau Staff Attorney Justin Schneider said the bureau has been involved in discussions on the licensing, which he said would be “very much like the pesticide licensing program and would be funded through a fee system.” Schneider said there is a bill awaiting action in the General Assembly that would authorize the fertilizer fees. He said the Farm Bureau supports the concept of having license applicants undergo training and take an examination before receiving certification. At the same time, the entire concept of how the agriculture community is regulated is under review by a 20-member task force in an exercise described by Schneider as looking into “how the rules are made and implemented rather than what the rules say.” Ted McKinney of Dow AgroSciences is chairman and Schneider is vice chairman of the panel, which takes in government, legislative, and industry interests. In addition to Dow AgroSciences, members are included from The Andersons, Premier Ag Co-op, and the nursery and turf business. A crop farmer is also on the panel from Wells County. The final report is required to be submitted to the administration and the legislature by early December. McKinney explained that the first step will be to talk with regulators to try to understand how the system works, adding that “this won’t be easy since there are 13 different ‘agency functions’ that regulate agriculture.”