Action Alert On Proposed Maryland Regulation

The Maryland Department of Agriculture’s proposed “emergency” regulation on phosphorus applications to farmland will be the subject of a Maryland General Assembly committee review on Wednesday, August 28 in Annapolis.

Delmarva Poultry Industry, Inc. and other agricultural groups are urging all persons connected to the Maryland chicken industry, whether they are growers, chicken company employees, suppliers, crop farmers, and others to offer their comments to the legislative committee about the harm this proposed “emergency” regulation could have on the agricultural community throughout the state. (Like you, we also are wondering what the “emergency” nature of this proposal is.) The message we would like to you to send to committee members is that they need to stop the “emergency” status of the regulation and allow the Maryland Department of Agriculture to move forward with its plan following the regular process of creating new state regulations. The regular process will allow time for more public comments and an opportunity to present more information on the implementation of a phased-in phosphorus management system that would be less harmful than the immediate implementation of the emergency regulation.

This proposed “emergency” regulation, if not stopped by the legislative committee, would go into effect immediately. It is expected to have a severe negative impact on the use of poultry manure in Somerset, Wicomico and Worcester counties. In fact, all counties in Maryland will be impacted. There has been no economic study to show the effects of this proposed regulation. We believe the impact will be huge.

There are serious concerns being raised about this proposed regulation by manure transporters who may have fewer farmers willing to accept chicken manure; chicken growers who may have no place to send their manure, thus creating problems on chicken farms; crop farmers who will have extra costs to fertilize their fields since they will be denied the ability to use manure; and chicken companies who may have to reduce bird placements on some farms because of those farms' inability to clean out their houses in accordance with company recommendations.

Here is a brief summary of how this “emergency” regulation, put into effect immediately, could impact chicken growers, chicken companies, and crop farmers.

· Many Maryland farmers will not be able to use animal manure as a fertilizer.

· Many chicken growers will not be able to cake out or clean out their chicken houses because there will be no places to use this locally produce organic fertilizer.

· Poultry litter storage buildings will not be large enough to hold the manure that cannot be used elsewhere.

· With limits on manure transport money, moving the manure to other areas will be difficult if not impossible.

· Companies that transport manure will not be able to take it because there will be no place to deliver it.

· Total chicken house cleanouts could become impossible.

· If chicken houses are not cleaned out on a regular basis, chicken companies might not place new flocks into the houses, thus depriving farm families of income.

· Chicken companies unable to raise new birds will become less competitive.

· Crop farmers accustomed to using chicken manure will be forced to switch to more expensive commercial fertilizer.

· Loss of income in the chicken industry and among crop farmers will have a huge impact on the economy throughout Maryland.

Delmarva Poultry Industry, Inc. is sponsoring a bus to the August 28, 2:30 hearing in Annapolis. Interested persons are welcome to ride to the hearing, but they must register for the bus. Only a few seats remain.

We need as many chicken growers and crop farmers as we can get to fill the hearing room to show the state legislators how serious an issue this is and how it can create huge negative implications for chicken growers and crop farmers. If you cannot attend, you can contact committee members as described below.

SALISBURY BUS PICK UP10:45 a.m.
Kmart Shopping Center
U.S. Route 50 and Tilghman Road
Salisbury, Maryland