Maryland Department of Agriculture issued the following announcement on Dec. 22.
The Maryland Department of Agriculture has announced that the 2019 Annual Implementation Reporting Forms and instructions will be mailed in early January to approximately 5,500 Maryland farmers who are regulated under the department’s Nutrient Management Program. These farmers are required to follow nutrient management plans when fertilizing crops and managing animal manure.
“Now is a good time for Maryland farmers to begin gathering records needed to complete your Annual Implementation Reports,” said Maryland Agriculture Secretary Joe Bartenfelder. “The forms are due March 1, and will be used to help us fully account for everything that Maryland farmers are doing to protect water quality in the Chesapeake Bay watershed and its tributaries.”
Reporting forms are due to the department by March 1 and are now available for download on the department’s website. The forms outline nutrient applications made in calendar year 2019. Failure to submit an Annual Reporting Form may result in fines and loss of eligibility to receive cost-share funds.
As a result of recent legislation passed by the Maryland General Assembly, this year’s reporting form will ask additional questions on manure and other organic products, including poultry residuals, sewage sludge, and compost that have been imported, exported, or land-applied in Maryland. The goal of the new reporting requirement is to ensure better compliance with Maryland’s Phosphorus Management Tool regulations.
Confined Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs) operating under a permit from the Maryland Department of the Environment should submit one combined reporting form along with a manure analysis to the Maryland Department of Agriculture’s Nutrient Management Program.
Farmers should follow these guidelines when completing their Annual Implementation Reporting Forms:
Use the pre-filled reporting form that arrives in the mail.
Do not leave spaces blank. If nutrients were not applied, place a zero in the box.
If the information requested does not apply, write N/A in the box.
Use the pre-printed envelope to mail the report.
Affix appropriate postage and mail by March 1.
Farmers should check their mailboxes for this year’s reporting form beginning January 8, 2020. For more information, farmers should contact their regional nutrient management office.
Original source can be found here.
Source: Maryland Department of Agriculture
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