2004 Montana Agricultural Statistics 



Montana 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 (1990) 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 (ADD) is 

 responsible for administering programs directed at 

 promoting and enhancing Montana agriculture. Within the 

 Division are four bureaus, the Rural Development Bureau, 

 the Wheat and Barley Bureau, the Agriculture Marketing and 

 Business Development Bureau, and the Montana State 

 Grain Laboratory Bureau. 



Councils and Boards attached to the Agriculture 

 Development Division Include the Montana Alfalfa Seed 

 Committee, Agriculture Development Council, Montana 



General 5 



Potato Advisory Committee, Wheat and Barley 

 Committee, State Hall Insurance Board, and Agriculture in 

 Montana Schools. 



Statewide agricultural statistics and projections are 

 developed through a Federal/State cooperative 

 agreement with the National Agriculture Statistics Service 

 administered through the division. This information is 

 made available through a comprehensive agricultural 

 statistics bulletin and grain movement summary along 

 with other production, price and Income reports. 



The Rural Development Bureau serves Montana 

 through the Agriculture Finance Program, the Commodity 

 Check-Off Enabling Act, the State Hail Insurance 

 Program, and Montana Agricultural Statistics Service. The 

 Bureau Is charged with assisting producers and 

 entrepreneurs in enhancing our agricultural industry and 

 the Montana economy. 



The Agriculture Finance program is responsible for 

 making grants and lower interest rate loans for rural 

 youth, rural youth organizations, and other qualified 

 farmers and ranchers. The Agriculture Finance Program 

 also provides funds for Rural Community Development 

 Grants, Building Our American Communities, and the 

 Young Ag Couples Conference. 



The State Hall Insurance Program insures any 

 crop grown In Montana from losses caused by hall 

 damage. The Program was established in 1917 to provide 

 producers with basic hail insurance coverage to protect 

 producers input costs. 



The Agriculture Marketing and Business 

 Development Bureau is responsible for market 

 enhancement and development through direct market 

 development activities, grants, and seed capital loan 

 investments in new and innovative products or process, 

 marketing, and product development. Marketing and agri- 

 business development personnel work closely with 

 individuals and organizations to promote and enhance our 

 agriculture industry. 



The Montana State Grain Laboratory Bureau is 



located in Great Falls and operates the only official 

 USDA-Federal Grain Inspection Service grain grading 

 and inspection laboratory in the state of Montana. The lab 

 provides unbiased grain inspection, grading, analytical 

 services, and oil seed analysis to the state's grain 

 industry. 



The Montana Wheat and Barley Bureau is 



responsible for marketing, promoting and encouraging 

 intensive scientific and practical research in all phases of 

 wheat and barley culture and production under the 

 guidelines and policies developed by the Wheat and 

 Barley Committee. 



