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Agency proposes making farm water-training optional, expanding oversight of field-applied waste and updating unit-pricing rules
Summary
The Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets briefed a legislative committee on a draft "miscellaneous agriculture" bill that would (1) remove the statutory requirement for all certified farms to complete 4 hours of water-quality training every five years, (2) expand agency authority to oversee non-sewage organic waste spread on farm fields, and (3) modernize unit and retail pricing rules including limits on in-store dynamic price increases.
Steve Collier, representing the Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets, told a legislative committee the agency is proposing a three-part bill that would make mandatory water‑quality training optional, extend oversight over certain non‑sewage wastes land‑applied to farm fields, and update state unit‑pricing and retail‑pricing rules to reflect modern electronic shelf labels and national standards.
The changes to water‑quality training would remove the current statutory language requiring certified small, medium and large farms to complete four hours of training every five years. Collier said the training requirement was adopted after Act 64 in 2015 and that the agency has run more than 1,000 events with over 32,000 attendees. "We just don't think that education on what the RAPs are is necessary anymore," Collier said, while adding the agency still wants to offer and expand voluntary training on best‑management and innovative practices…
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