Fertilizer

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Requirements

You must register fertilizer before selling it in the state of Louisiana. You must submit quarterly reports and pay an inspection fee of $1 per ton, with the exception of those selling small package goods.

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 XI 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 the 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.

Registration

Register using our Online Fertilizer Registration Portal (USAPlants). If you prefer, you can also register through the mail by printing out this form .

To register online, you will need:

• An established Username and Password, or

• Register using the USAPlants ID and Pin # located on the annual renewal and quarterly tonnage forms

• Valid email address

• Bank or credit card information

A state charge of $3 for electronic commerce will be added to your invoice in accordance with Louisiana Revised Statute 49:316.1.

You must submit registrations/renewals annually by January 1 of each year. If you have not already provided your fertilizer product labels to us, or if you have any new products, please submit those labels with your application for registration.

Exception

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.

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Requirements

All registered fertilizer manufacturers must submit timely and accurate quarterly tonnage reports even if there were no sales during a quarter.

The quarterly inspection fee is $1 per ton; the minimum inspection fee is $10 per quarter. The inspection fee must be paid to LDAF on all fertilizers sold and must be submitted with the quarterly tonnage reports. The inspection fee is only required to be paid once on each lot of fertilizer sold in Louisiana. Make checks payable to the Louisiana Department of Agriculture & Forestry (LDAF) or pay online through USAPlants .

If you select the small package goods exception during the annual registration process, you do not owe quarterly inspection fees. However, everyone (including guarantors that selected and paid for the small package goods exception) is required to submit quarterly tonnage reports. If you have the small package goods exception, you must pay $1 per ton on all tons sold or distributed in excess of 100 tons per year.

Deadlines and late penalties

LA R.S. 3:1413(C) states that tonnage reports and inspection fees 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.

Reports and fees are considered late if not received online or postmarked by the due date.  Late reports require a penalty payment of 10% of the $1 per ton inspection fee. If tonnage reports are not filed and inspection fees are not paid or postmarked by 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 at an administrative adjudicatory hearing of the Agricultural Chemistry and Seed Commission.

Late or not received tonnage reports may be cause for charges to be alleged and issued against a guarantor for violations of the Louisiana fertilizer law and the guarantor will be subject to appear at an adjudicatory hearing before the Agricultural Chemistry and Seed Commission.  All registered guarantors (including those that pay the $100 small package goods fee for selling small packages only) are required to submit quarterly tonnage reports for all four quarters each year even if nothing was sold during a quarter. The commission may impose a civil penalty of not more than $500 per violation of the Louisiana fertilizer law at an administrative adjudicatory hearing (R.S. 3:1417 & R.S. 3:1418).

Submitting reports

• Login in to the online portal .

• Use the parish code 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:

• UFTRS Codes : Enter the correct Uniform Fertilizer Tonnage Reporting System (UFTRS) code for the tonnage being reported.  For a blended fertilizer, code the NPK not micronutrients. Please use only UFTRS codes.

• Tons Sold: Compute to the second decimal (i.e. 12.50, 8.00, etc.); do not use fractions.

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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.

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.

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