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NH Agriculture commissioner outlines staffing, fees and invasive‑species work
Summary
Commissioner Jasper told the House Finance Division I that the Department of Agriculture is running 44 full‑time positions, managing large product registries and has added a plant‑industry biological scientist for invasive species; the department is also reviewing fee structures to help pay for a new animal database and other services.
CONCORD — New Hampshire Department of Agriculture Commissioner Jasper gave members of House Finance Division I a sweeping overview of the department’s programs, staffing and revenue sources during a committee hearing.
Jasper said the department has 44 full‑time positions, several part‑time roles, and an array of largely self‑supporting programs that generate fees and fines that in many cases are earmarked to remain in their program accounts. “We are a net positive to the general fund every single year,” Jasper said, describing the department’s mix of general‑fund and dedicated‑fund activity.
The department’s regulatory portfolio spans food safety, agricultural development, pesticides, plant industry, weights and measures and animal industry. Jasper said the pesticide program registers about 12,000 products and that regulatory services registers nearly 20,000 animal‑feed and pet‑food products. Weights and measures regulates roughly 20,000 licensed devices, from supermarket scales to gas pumps, and the department uses…
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