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Committee hears agency bill to align soil-amendment labeling with national standards
Summary
Senate Bill 833 would update Oregon labeling and reporting requirements for soil amendments and fertilizer products to match changes by the Association of American Plant Food Control Officials (AAFCO); a -1 amendment would give the Department of Agriculture rulemaking authority to stay aligned with future national changes.
Salem — The Energy and Environment Committee opened and closed a public hearing Feb. 10 on Senate Bill 833, an Oregon Department of Agriculture agency bill to update labeling requirements for soil-enhancing products and fertilizers.
Jonathan Sanda, deputy director at the Oregon Department of Agriculture, and Gilbert Scribe Valdez, program manager for the department's fertilizer program, described the measure as a technical "truth in labeling" bill to help customers and agricultural professionals know the contents of soil amendment products. Sanda said the Association of American Plant Food Control Officials (AAFCO) updated its labeling standards in February 2024 and the bill would align Oregon statute and registration and tonnage reporting dates with those national changes. "This bill is...pretty technical," Sanda said, adding the changes help regulators enforce that the "guaranteed analysis" on a bag matches laboratory results.
The -1 amendment would add a paragraph authorizing the Department of Agriculture to adopt rules establishing and maintaining labeling requirements and guidelines for fertilizer and agricultural amendment products so the state can stay in alignment with evolving national standards.
No committee questions were recorded and the hearing was closed the same day.
