2001 Montana A(;ki(Iiltural Statistics 



(Jl-NKRAI. 5 



MOM ANA DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 



The Department of Agriculture, through the 

 Director, is responsible for administration of a $13 

 million annual budget with 108 employees. The 

 Director oversees the department's three divisions and 

 six bureaus. The function of each division is 

 summarized below. 



Central Management Division performs 

 technical, fiscal and administrative support functions 

 for the department. Responsibilities of the division 

 include activities for internal operations of the 

 department. 



Agricultural Sciences Division is responsible 

 for the registration of 7,025 pesticide products; the 

 training, certification and licensing of 1,510 

 commercial and government applicators, 1,677 

 operators, 447 pesticide dealers, and 8,200 private 

 applicators. 



The division provides evaluation of pest 

 management problems and programs; training and 

 licensing of government and commercial pesticide 

 applicators and dealers; and analytical laboratory and 

 consultative services to other agencies and the public. 

 In addition, the division is responsible for the 

 administration and enforcement of regulatory laws 

 controlling the production, manufacturing, and 

 marketing of agricultural commodities exported from 

 or distributed within Montana. The division 

 investigates consumer complaints; performs technical 

 expertise and licenses for 480 nurseries, 656 feed 

 dealers, 234 fertilizer dealers, 320 seed dealers and 105 

 grain merchandisers. The division also registers 2,698 

 pet food products, 1,200 fertilizers, and 5,030 bee 

 yards. 



The passage of the Montana Agricultural 

 Chemical Ground Water Protection Act ( 1 990) charges 

 the department to protect ground water and the 

 environment from impairment or degradation due to 

 the use of agricultural chemicals. The Vertebrate Pest 

 Management program provides on-site demonstrations, 

 educational materials and technical bulletins to assist 



producers in reducing damage caused by field rodents, 

 birds and other large mammals. 



The Weed Management program is responsible 

 for administering statewide efforts aimed at control 

 and/or eradication of noxious and other undesirable 

 weeds. The Noxious Weed Seed Free Forage Program 

 provides a certification mechanism that allows 

 producers to market various forage crops as being 

 noxious weed seed free. 



The Agricultural Development Division is 



responsible for administering programs directed at 

 promoting and enhancing Montana agriculture. The 

 Agriculture Finance program provides grants and lower 

 interest rate loans for rural youth, rural youth 

 organizations, and other qualified farmers and ranchers 

 while the Montana State Hail Insurance Program 

 insures any type of crop grown in Montana from losses 

 caused by hail damage. 



The Marketing Program provides assistance for 

 market development/enhancement activities through 

 the use of grants, seed capital loan investments, 

 product development, and interaction between 

 department staff and entrepreneurs. Statewide 

 agricultural statistics and projections are developed 

 through a Federal/State cooperative agreement and 

 then made available in a comprehensive agricultural 

 statistics bulletin and grain movement summary along 

 with other production, price and income reports. 

 Alfalfa seed research and market development efforts 

 are administered through the Montana Alfalfa Seed 

 Committee. The Montana State Grain Laboratory 

 located in Great Falls operates the only official USD A- 

 Federal Grain Inspection Service grain-grading 

 laboratory in the state of Montana. The lab provides 

 unbiased grain grading, analytical services, and oil seed 

 analysis to the state's grain industry. Scientific and 

 practical research in all phases of wheat and barley 

 culture, production, and marketing is administered 

 under the guidelines and policies developed by the 

 Montana Wheat and Barley Committee. 



