Making Crop Protection Products More Available

Making Crop Protection Products More Available

Making Crop Protection Products More Available. I'm Greg Martin with Washington Ag Today.

We recently spoke with Jim Fitzgerald of Far West Agribusiness Association on a bill that was pushing its way through the Washington State Legislature that would clarify the hazardous substance tax exemption on crop protection products located in the state and involved in interstate commerce. According to Fitzgerald, ESSB 6057 has passed.

FITZGERALD: The State of Washington had a law that said hazardous substance tax shall be paid on FIFRA products. It stands for the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide crop protection product so as soon as it comes into the state of Washington, Washington law says we're going to impose the Hazardous Substance Tax and then if it's warehoused in Washington which is a nice central place for the northwestern region. The problem existed with interstate commerce where when those products then weren't needed in Washington State but were needed in neighboring Idaho or Oregon or Wyoming, the tax was paid in Washington as though it was going to be applied in Washington and so there was a dis-incentive for manufacturers to store it in Washington because soon as it landed here there was an added cost.

Fitzgerald says that consequently the FIFRA inventory in the state was significantly reduced which could cause potential delays when products are needed.

FITZGERALD: If they have to wait too much it would provide an incentive for them to preorder it and then store it on the farm. That's not where we want it stored. We want to stored in the best, safest facility as possible so this particular bill made that correction.

And that's Washington Ag Today. I'm Greg Martin, thanks for listening on the Ag Information Network of the West.

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