MONTANA AGRICULTURAL STATISTICS 



THE MONTANA DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 



Historically, the Department basically has been a regulatory agency. It should bemorethan 

 that. The State's constitution and statutes provide authority for it to be more than regulatory. 



To follow through with this change in scope, the Department was completely reorganized 

 in November of 1977. Ten divisions were reduced to three with a view of providing new services 

 to the people of Montana as well as strengthening the administrative procedure in the 

 Department. 



The Department controls the sale and use of chemicals. This is for the protection of the 

 public and the environment while providing for their use by agriculture. An accelerated pro- 

 gram has been conducted to qualify commercial and private applicators for use of restricted 

 chemicals. Currently over 10,000 applicators are licensed. 



Another program controls the quality of fruits, vegetables and nursery stock as well as the 

 agricultural seed business. The Department registers feeds and fertilizers to guarantee product 

 quality. Grain warehousemen and grain handlers are licensed to ensure they are properly 

 bonded and insured for the protection of Montana's farmers and ranchers. Also, the Depart- 

 ment has a grain testing laboratory that provides official grades and protein tests on grains. 



Attached to the Department for administrative purposes are two important service pro- 

 grams. First, the Wheat Research and Marketing Committee, financed by a self-imposed tax on 

 wheat and barley, which has been successful in exporting millions of dollars worth of Montana 

 grain. It has also put large amounts of money into Montana State University of the development 

 of improved strains of grain and new agricultural practices. 



Second, the Crop Hail Insurance Program; another self-financed program that has re- 

 turned millions of dollars of hail insurance to Montana farmers. 



Another relatively new program is the Marketing and Transportation Unit. This Unit has 

 saved Montana citizens some nine million dollars over the last five years. It has also assisted in 

 establishing markets for food processed in Montana, and has enhanced export markets for 

 grain, fruits and honey. 



Basic to these many operations are the statistics provided by the Crop and Livestock Re- 

 porting Unit. This Unit is the result of a cooperative effort between this Department and the 

 U.S.D.A. 



The Department of Agriculture, representing Montana's largest industry which contributes 

 nearly as much income to the state as the next three industries combined, is now morethan a 

 regulatory agency. 



The Department has moved into the service area. Its fundamental goal is to better serve 

 Montana agriculture in the eighties. 



