Madison, Wisc.-Reduced fertilizer and pesticide-related tonnage surcharges will mean lower fees for farmers and other purchasers, according to the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture. But there’s a slight problem, reported Lori Brown, agrichemical management bureau director. “While the good news is lower fees, the bad news is the timing of the budget and the timing of the tonnage and pesticide assessments don’t match up very well,” Bowman said. “Fertilizer dealers and distributors are assessed tonnage fees based on the law that is in effect at the time. Consumers purchasing fertilizer after July 1 paid the higher fees because that was what the law required then. When the budget was signed in October 2007, the reductions in tonnage fees were retroactive to July.” The department advises those who purchased fertilizer after July 1 to check with their dealer to determine what tonnage rate was charged. “If you purchased commercial fertilizer and were charged $1.25 per ton instead of the new lower rate of $1.06 per ton, you should discuss how to handle any overpayment with your dealer,” Bowman said. The same applies to pesticide fees that were also reduced to 0.95 percent of gross sales as of Oct. 1. The state will notify fertilizer dealers and distributors and pesticide manufacturers and distributors to encourage them to work with customers to determine how to best handle the adjustments. The Wisconsin Legislature lowered the surcharges to reduce the revenues in the agricultural chemical cleanup program fund, which is expected to drop by more than $1.75 million over the next two years.
Transparency Across the Fertilizer Value-Chain