Hudson's Berlin farm
Pictured is a chicken farm in Berlin, Md. State lawmakers are considering a bill that proposes a 5-cent per chicken tax to make big chicken companies pay for a share of Chesapeake Bay cleanup.
EASTON — A bill that proposes a 5-cent per chicken tax is back in this year’s General Assembly, and it aims to make big chicken companies pay for a share of Chesapeake Bay cleanup.
The bill is sponsored by Sen. Richard Madaleno, a Democrat from Montgomery County, who said the bill directs the 5-cent per bird tax to the state’s cover crop program.
The bill’s name is the Bay Tax Equity Act, but opponents call it the “chicken tax.”
“Every year on the Eastern Shore more than 300 million birds are raised. They produce 1.5 billion pounds of waste on the Shore,” Madaleno said. “That is more waste than the human beings who reside in Maryland produce, and of course the waste we produce primarily goes through a treatment system.”
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This bill would not make it past Gov. Hogan but it is a start.
ReplyDeleteAs it stands now the taxpayers are gouged for millions each year to fund the cover crop program. Cover crops are planted in an effort to take up all the excess nutrients from the poultry manure.
I believe the companies who own the chickens should be forced to clean up their own mess, not the taxpayers.
Stupid. The tax will just get passed on to the consumers.
ReplyDelete4:44 So, what you're saying is the chicken farmers should pay for a farmer wanting to use their chicken poop on their fields? Are you serious? Chicken poop in fields is as natural and organic as you can get. It has much lower P levels than their rival synthetic fertilizers, which is what's coming once you crazies make enough noise.
ReplyDeleteAll of the poop totals they reference don't even hit soil, it is
incinerated. Just more lies and deception from the CBF. I will take them serious when they even ATTEMPT to go after the real polluters.
Anytime I see the words "equity" or "fairness" in a proposed bill, it's always a conspiracy to rob money or freedom from someone not in the proposer's district or voter base.
ReplyDeleteKeep it up fools...your chicken will be the price of prime rib very quickly. I spent my entire youth cleaning my grandfathers chicken house by hand in the summers. The weight of manure is not near what they like to claim, birds spill lots and lots of water from their troughs and onto the shavings.....not manure at all but very heavy. As usual the citizens are being con'd for more taxes, nothing else. EVERY tax, fee, surcharge, regulation, equity act...is past on to the bottom...you and I the consumers...YOU will pay the tax! If they really wanted to help the bay they would dredge the coniwingo dam, every time it rains sediment covers the Bay floor killing oyster bars and grasses, wake up people before its to late.
ReplyDeleteWhat is PA paying MD to assist with the Bay cleanup. These Bay Cleanup Liberals do not talk about the pollution entering the bay from PA. All they want to do is tax Marylanders.
ReplyDeleteWhat happens when the Farmers quit raising Chickens? How much taxes will be lost since incomes will drop drastically?
Do you think Jim Perdue will stay in MD?
Answer HELL NO.
Jim will move 90% of his company to NC or another State. MD has pushed their luck for at least the last 15 yrs.
Just because he is a native Shore man does not mean he has to be loyal and lose his business to an unfriendly to business State
Yes, 300 million birds are raised. For 6-7 weeks. That's only 346,000 pooping at any given day. It's not that much. How many billions of acres out there?
ReplyDeleteAnd just exactly how much P is that, and how much P do the crops eat and how much breaks down naturally? And exactly how much plowed in P "runs off", in a rainstorm? How much do the forests eat?
Oh, that's right, nobody did thosr counts yet, so nobody knows.
So you need to tax that? You don't even know what you would ever spend the money on in order to fix it if it were somehow broken, except for salary raises for the CBF staff.
Once again a one size fits all approach that only hurts the small farmer.
ReplyDelete5:04, you need to go back and read what I wrote.
ReplyDeleteWhat I am saying is that the companies that own the chickens need to clean up their own mess. As it stands now the taxpayers pay millions every year to try to clean it up.
Manure use for plants is natural when used correctly. Manure has not been used correctly thus the high rates of P saturation in this area.
A farmer can buy fertilizers to match the ratios needed for the crops grown and apply it much more efficiently.
Won't be long before the farmer is required to give each chicken a name.
ReplyDeleteAs the daughter of a poultry farmer, and now the poultry grower herself, let me address a couple of the comments listed above.
ReplyDelete5:14 Yes, back in the day when we used water jugs (gallon glass jars with lids that had to be filled twice a day,) for the first 10 days, and then water troughs that were famous for flooding the litter, poultry manure was wet, heavy, stinky, etc. With the nipple drinker system that we use today, we have very few "floods", the litter is dryer, powdery, lighter and not very smelly. The nipple drinker system we use today has been around for 30 years or more and is a closed water system that is more sanitary for the birds and wastes less water.
If you, 5:14 p.m., would like to see what the litter looks like today compared with what you and I both remember from "back in the day", let Joe know and he can put you in touch with me.
Ok, Heb - let me comment on your comments. If the poultry companies are charged a 5 cent per bird "tax", they will do one of several things to their contract growers. 1. The companies will pass this 5 cent charge on to me. (to be taken out of my settlement) 2. They may put less birds on my farm. 3. Will pass the "tax" on to the markets they sell the birds to. 4. Their markets will then pass the extra charge on to you as a grocery shopper.
The poultry does indeed belong to the company that I grow for. But from the day they are placed on my farm to the day they go out, they are my responsibility - 7/24.
We, the farmers that use the manure must have nutrient management plans that we use for manure implementation. Most farmers only use what is allowed by their plan. It is incorporated into the land within 48 hours after spreading. Corn is the main crop that chicken manure is spread on.
Yes, we can buy a commercial prepared fertilizer, and you can get whatever blend you need for the crop you are growing. But most farmers find the expense of the commercial fertilizer to be high. Did you know that I must stay 50 feet away with my manure spread pattern, from any ditch, deep or shallow, dry or with water when I spread chicken manure but I can spread commercial fertilizer into the ditch?????
Did you know that P is naturally occurring in the soil? I remember this from my Earth Science classes in the late 70's. Thank you to my Earth Science teacher!
As my dad was known for saying, "When you talk about the farmer, don't talk with your mouth full". In my words, a farmer feeds you 3 times (or more) a day.
Heb, if you want to talk about this, the same offer applies to you. Let Joe know and he can put you in touch with you.
Susan
To the 6:38... get off your high horse and stop demanding busineses are responsible for pollution.. get real
ReplyDeleteHey if you had it your way--why not ban business, or make it so tough they go to friendly states to hire people, grow economies... Oh I forgot that's Maryland---one of the top 5 worst states for business...
You eco-Nazis want everyone to eat grass and live in huts, and freeze while enjoying nature--well--you do it, but damnned if I will take this crap sitting down..
6:38
ReplyDeleteP saturation is high in fields that have never had one ounce of any kind of manure applied to them.
Obvious you're too smart by half, obviously.
Imagine if Anthony Brown had been elected -- this bill would become law.
ReplyDeleteInteresting that Jim Perdue gave big $$$$ to Brown's campaign.
Susan,
ReplyDeleteI have been a grain and poultry producer for many years, planning to retire soon. I also assist in developing NMPs and conduct soil sampling. I really don't know what knowledge you would be able to share with me?
I noticed you did not answer my question.
Why does the taxpayer have to pay to clean up the industries mess? Why shouldn't the owner of the birds take care of the mess they are creating?
Actually, a lot of the manure is not incorporated at all. Couple years ago when it was a dryer February I saw a lot of manure being spread. Just keep an eye on the back fields and you will see.
As far as manure being cheaper that simply depends on the situation. If a grain farmer does not own their own chicken houses by the time they pay for the crusting/cleanouts and the time involved, commercial fertilizer is about even.
Yes, P does occur naturally but on the countless fields I have sampled over the years the fields that have had very little to no manure applied have a very low P index. That argument is simply dishonest.
1031, so exactly what is the "mess"?
ReplyDelete"Why does the taxpayer have to pay to clean up the industries mess? Why shouldn't the owner of the birds take care of the mess they are creating? "
Exactly what ppm is the exact value of "The mess"?
That is the question never answered. It's just assumed without traceable values.
FYI the Governor's rain tax repeal failed in committee. F"n Democraps.
ReplyDeleteThey just don't get it! NO NEW taxes...ON anybody! PERIOD!
ReplyDelete11:20, to follow up on that, exactly what will the 5 cents per bird be spent on? To build a P- eating machine?
ReplyDeleteAnother thing that's never addressed. It as well is just assumed that all those nickles will magically solve the problem?
The nickles are just to line pockets is all. The problem will continue to exist, and another nickle will be brought up for a vote.
Here's an informative website. At least numbers and quantities are discussed here.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.coral-shop.com/news.php?id=183
So, how does the bay water stack up to this? Is it being poisoned by seawater intrusion?