Agricultural Chemistry Programs

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The Division of Agricultural Chemistry, Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry, administers the feed, fertilizer and agricultural lime regulatory programs for the state of Louisiana. The Agricultural Chemistry Laboratory performs analytical testing on animal feeds, pet foods, plant food and agriculture liming materials for the Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry. Analyses are performed on plant and animal tissues, soil, water, feeds, fertilizers, pesticides agricultural chemicals and agricultural commodities.

The Ag Chemistry Laboratory also provides analytical services to the Pesticide Division of the Office of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences as well as the Meat Program of the Office of Animal Health and Food Safety. The programs administered by the division protect the quality and safety of food, feed, fertilizer and other agricultural inputs. This protection directly benefits all the citizens of the state by protecting the quality and safety of the food supply and the environment.

The Agricultural Chemistry Laboratory, housed on the LSU Campus, is currently a part of the Food Emergency Response Network (FERN). This network is a FDA/USDA funded system of laboratories that maintains readiness to respond to food emergencies.

Our association with FERN has provided numerous training opportunities for our staff at no cost to the state.

The Agricultural Chemistry Division provides analytical chemistry support to the research and extension efforts of the LSU AgCenter. Analyses are performed on plant and animal tissues, soil, water, feeds, fertilizers, pesticides agricultural chemicals and agricultural commodities. The laboratory will analyze these sample types for the general public for a fee. Please call 225-342-5812 for your analytical needs and a FEE SCHEDULE.

AgChemistry has analytical capabilities to perform tests for protein, fat and fiber in feeds, nutrients and metals in water, chemical residue matrices, antibiotic use in feeds, PCBs in marine mammals, melamine in feeds and for other studies. Laboratory equipment available within the AgChemistry unit include state-of-the-art multiple gas and liquid chromatographs, ICP and tandem mass spectrometers.

The regulatory, research and extension work done by Ag Chemistry includes analyses of over 10,000 samples per year. In addition, Louisiana consumers are assured quality product purchases with registration and review of product labels on feeds, pet foods, fertilizer and agricultural liming products.

The laboratory is located on the campus of Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, La. Click here more information.

Directions from Interstate 10:
Take Exit 157b, Acadian Thruway. Exit South toward LSU (going underneath the railroad overpass). Crossing Perkins Road, Acadian Thruway becomes Stanford Avenue. The right lane exits from Stanford to the right, becoming South Stadium Road. South Stadium Road meets Highland Road at a light. Turn left. The second driveway to the left enters to the left side of the John M. Parker Coliseum. The Agricultural Chemistry Building is on this driveway’s right.

Feed Program

All feed and pet food sold in Louisiana must be registered annually July 1 through June 30.

Fill in the feed and pet food registration form and enclose a check payable to the Louisiana Department of Agriculture & Forestry to cover payment of the annual registration fee of $40 plus the label fee (depending on the number of products you are registering – $10 each up to 50, $8 each for 51-200, and $6 each for 201 and over) for all products being registered.

You must submit all product labels (new or revised) being registered in the State of Louisiana. An additional fee of $50 will be charged for renewal companies registration POSTMARKED after June 30. For companies selling commercial feeds in packages of ten (10) pounds or less, a $200 annual specialty fee is required in lieu of the inspection fee (tonnage fees). This is to be submitted with your annual registration application.

All companies registered as a feed manufacturer must submit quarterly tonnage reports.

Feed Commission Minutes and Proceedings are available HERE

Inspection fees are computed at one dollar per ton for each ton sold. There is a minimum quarterly inspection/tonnage fee of $10.The penalty, a 25 % late fee, for late reports will be in addition to the minimum $10.00 fee (total of $12.50). If you pay the annual $200 specialty fee, there is no fee due with your report(s). However, the report(s) must be filed quarterly (FAX NUMBER 225-237-5812).

Companies that fail to timely submit tonnage reports may be subject to a civil penalty.

If you have any questions, please call Courtney Foote at 225-353-9552 or send an email.

Fertilizer Program

In accordance with Louisiana Fertilizer Law R.S. 3:1411 et seq., and the Rules and Regulations of the Louisiana Administrative Code Title 7; Part X1 Sections 101 – 133, all companies that manufacture or ship fertilizer into the state of Louisiana must both register as a fertilizer manufacturer and file quarterly tonnage reports with the Louisiana Agricultural Chemistry and Seed Commission to the Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry’s Agricultural Chemistry Division.

All shipments must be invoiced as a grade by each manufacturer or mixer. Each manufacturer or mixer must pay a tonnage fee on ALL sales.

All shipments must have proper guaranteed analysis identification on bags and a copy of the shipping ticket or an invoice when the shipment is made in bulk. A copy of the shipping ticket, giving complete information, must accompany delivery vehicle.

Fertilizer-pesticide combinations must be registered under both laws, and the name and percent of pesticide active ingredients must be shown on the delivery ticket.

Online Registration, Tonnage Reporting & Payment Service

CLICK HERE TO ACCESS ONLINE SERVICES

The following information is required to access online services:

Established Username and Password, or
Register using the USAPlants ID and Pin # located on the renewal and tonnage forms
Valid email address
Bank or Credit Card information

A state charge of $3.00 for electronic commerce will be added to your invoice in accordance with Louisiana Revised Statute 49:316.1

For Fertilizer Program assistance, contact us at fertilizerldaf@ldaf.state.la.us or 225.342.5812.

Registration

Each person who manufactures, sells, or offers fertilizer for sale under his name or brand is required to register with the commission. Registration must be renewed annually by January 1^st of each year (Louisiana Fertilizer Law R.S. 3:1413(A). If you have not already provided your fertilizer product labels to us, or if you have any new products, please submit them with your application for registration.

Application for Fertilizer Registration

Small Package Goods Exception (Louisiana Fertilizer Law R.S. 3:1413(C)(1))

“Small packages” is defined as less than 5 gallons of liquid fertilizer and less than 50 pounds of dry material. Fertilizer manufacturers who intend to sell only small packages, not to exceed a total of 100 tons per year, must sign the statement under the ‘small package goods exception’ part of the registration application form or click the corresponding check box in the online system. A $100.00 fee is required at the time of registration for the exception and is in lieu of quarterly inspection fees; however, accurate quarterly tonnage reports must still be submitted to our office. Any sales over 100 tons will be subject to the $1.00 per ton inspection fee.

Quarterly Tonnage Reports

All registered fertilizer manufacturers must timely submit accurate quarterly tonnage reports even if there were no sales during the quarter. The inspection fee is $1.00 per ton; the minimum fee is $10.00 per quarter. The inspection fee must be paid to the commission on all fertilizers sold and submitted with the quarterly tonnage reports. The inspection fee is only required to be paid once on each lot of fertilizer sold. Checks should be made payable to the Louisiana Department of Agriculture & Forestry (LDAF).

LA R.S. 3:1413(C) provides that tonnage reports and inspection fees shall be due and payable on the first day of October, the first day of January, the first day of April, and the first day of July.

Quarter: Quarterly Period: Late if received on or after:

First	July 1^st thru September 30^th	October 31^st
Second	October 1^st thru December 31^st	January 31st
Third	January 1^st thru March 31^st	May 1st
Fourth	April 1^st thru June 30^th	July 31st

The quarter ending dates are September 30^th (1st quarter), December 31^st (2nd quarter), March 31^st (3rd quarter) and June 30^th(4th quarter). Reports and fees are late if not received or postmarked by October 31^st (1st quarter), January 31^st (2nd quarter), April 30^th (3rd quarter) and July 31^st (4th quarter). Late reports must be accompanied by a penalty payment of 10% of the $1.00 per ton inspection fee. If payment is not made within thirty days after the due date, the amount of fees due plus the penalty shall constitute a debt and shall become the basis for a judgment against the registrant.

Late or not received tonnage reports may be cause for charges to be issued against the company for violations of the Louisiana Fertilizer Law and the company will be subject to appear at an adjudicatory hearing before the Agricultural Chemistry and Seed Commission. All companies (including those that pay the $100 fee for selling small packages only) are required to submit quarterly tonnage reports for all four quarters even if nothing was sold during a quarter. The commission may impose a civil penalty of not more than $500.00 per violation of the Louisiana Fertilizer Law at an administrative adjudicatory hearing (R.S. 3:1417 & R.S. 3:1418).

Reports should be typed or written in legible ink. The registrant’s USAPlants ID Number must be written on each report on the line titled “USAPlants ID Number.” The full name and address of the firm must be listed. The quarter ending date and the date submitted must be written on all reports and all reports must be signed.

Parish Code: Use the parish code for each parish from the “parish code sheet” listing the Louisiana parishes. Parish codes must be written for each entry – no ditto marks please.

Guaranteed Analysis: For Mixed Grades and Materials, enter analyses in all three columns using two digits.

Example:       N         P         K
00        00        60
00        54        00

UFTRS Code: Enter the correct UFTRS code for Nitrogen, Phosphate, and Potash.

Examples:

Nitrogen
82-00-00 02 (liquid)

Phosphate
18-46-00 203 (dry)

Potash
00-00-60 428 (dry)

Enter codes for Micronutrients as follows:

Iron Chelate
00-00-0 730

Do not put a code if a micronutrient is added to the blended fertilizer. Please use only UFTRS codes.

Tons Sold: Tons sold must be computed to the second decimal (i.e. 12.50, 8.00); do not use fractions.

For multiple page reports: Please subtotal each page under the tonnage amount keeping a running total of all tonnage sold. Enter the total tonnage sold, the amount of the fee, the total penalty (if applicable), and the total remitted on the first page of the report.

Computer reports submitted with the Quarterly Report Forms: All computer reports submitted with report forms MUST have prior approval from this office. The report should carry the same columns and follow the same remittance instructions as the report forms provided to you and should be approximately the same size. The form should not have any unnecessary information.

Other than those specifically required by these instructions, no zeros should be entered in any of the spaces for which no transactions were made.

File Name	File Type
Quarterly Report of Fertilizer Tonnage	PDF
Fertilizer Registration and Quarterly Tonnage Reports Instructions	PDF
Uniform Fertilizer Tonnage Reporting System (UFTRS) Codes	PDF
Parish Codes	PDF

Labels

All shipments must be invoiced as a grade by each manufacturer or mixer, whether mixed by said mixer or purchased from another manufacturer. Each manufacturer or mixer must pay an inspection fee on ALL sales.

Fertilizer-pesticide combinations must be registered under both laws, and the name and percent of pesticide active ingredients must be shown on the delivery ticket.

All labels must be submitted, reviewed and approved by this office prior to distribution within Louisiana. Labels may be submitted via our online USAPlants system, email or paper copies may be mailed to the office. This office follows the Association of American Plant Food Control Officials ( AAPFCO ) guidelines unless superseded by Louisiana law.

Resources

American Association of Plant Food Control Officials
LSU AgCenter Agricultural Chemistry
Fertilizers, Rules and Regulations, State Register, Title 7, Part XI
List of registered fertilizer companies

Agricultural Liming Program

The state of Louisiana regulates materials used to decrease the soil acidity during agricultural production sold or offered for sale in Louisiana. Below is the link to the state law concerning agricultural liming materials.

Useful Links:

Analytical Chemistry Laboratory Programs

The Agricultural Analytical Chemistry Laboratory serves as the State Chemist’s laboratory for official analysis of feeds, fertilizers, liming materials, pesticides, meats and other analyses requested by the Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry.

It is also the Louisiana State University Agricultural Center’s primary service laboratory for research samples for water, plant tissue, feeds, fertilizers, alternative limes, pesticides and other specialized analysis. In addition, the laboratory also serves the public with analysis of manufacturers’ feeds and fertilizers, producers manures and poultry litters, meats, turtle dip antibiotics, farmer aflatoxin and fumonisin samples, and other specialized testing.