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Plant Industry

The Division of Plant Industry is responsible for ensuring consumers of disease-free and pest-free plants, grains, and seeds, as well as properly labeled agricultural commodities, and the safe application of pesticides and farm chemicals.

Click here to learn more about the Apiary Program.

Click here to learn more about Africanized Honeybees.

Mark Ashcroft, Manager, (435) 755-1578

What We Do

We administer the Utah Commercial Feed Act; which involves inspection, registration, and sampling of commercial feed products.

Feed and Fertilizer Testing Labs

The Feed Lab tests commercial feed samples for moisture, protein, fat, fiber, minerals, toxins, antibiotics, and vitamins. Seed moisture determinations are also performed for the seed laboratory. The Fertilizer Lab tests solid and liquid fertilizer samples for nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, and trace elements. All feed and fertilizer results are compared to label guarantees to ensure compliance with state labeling laws.

Fees

  • Commercial Feed Registration.......$60.00 per product
  • Custom Formula License........$75.00

Utah Code and Administrative Rules Relating to Commercial Feed Products

Mark Ashcroft, Program Manager, (435) 755-1578

What We Do

We administer the Utah Fertilizer Act. The program regulates the registration, distribution, sale, use, and storage of fertilizer products. It regulates and licenses fertilizer blenders and monitors the applicators that spray or apply fertilizer and takes samples for analysis.

Feed and Fertilizer Testing Lab

The Feed Lab tests commercial feed samples for moisture, protein, fat, fiber, minerals, toxins, antibiotics, and vitamins. Seed moisture determinations are also performed for the seed laboratory. The Fertilizer Lab tests solid and liquid fertilizer samples for nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, and trace elements. All feed and fertilizer results are compared to label guarantees to ensure compliance with state labeling laws.

Utah Code and Administrative Rules Relating to Commercial Fertilizer

Fertilizer Fees

  • Fertilizer Blenders License $75.00
  • Annual Assessment, per ton $0.35
  • Minimum Semi-annual Assessment $20.00
  • Fertilizer Product Registration $60.00 per product

Related Links

Click here to learn more about the Grain Program.

Aaron Eagar, Program Manager, (801) 538-7186

Weed-Free Hay Growers List

List of Noxious Weeds in Utah

Read this document for full instructions on How Do I Certify My Hay as Weed-Free?

There is a growing demand for weed free forage in North America as a preventative program for the spread of noxious weeds. This program has developed a list of standards that should provide land managers assurance that noxious weeds will not be spread through the movement of forage.

What Forages can be Certified?

  • Alfalfa hay
  • Grass hay
  • Alfalfa/grass mix hay
  • Forage pellets and/or cubes
  • Wheat or other grain hay
  • Straw bales

Utah complies with NIASMA standards for weed free forage.

In order to certify your hay as weed free, please contact your local UDAF Compliance Specialists.

Hay and Straw Weed Free Certification Fees

Certificate/Bulk loads of hay up to 10 loads (hourly rates charged for driving time) $30.00
Hourly rate (hourly rates charged for driving time) $28.00
If time involved is 1 hour or less $28.00
Charge for each hay tag $0.10
Citations, maximum per violation $500.00
Emergency service for single component only (per sample) $42.00

Mileage rates will be charged in addition to the rates above.

Kris Watson, Manager, State Entomologist, (801) 982-2311 (office), (801) 982-2313 (lab), (385) 465-6025 (fax)

Managing insects is essential to the Department's mission to “Promote the healthy growth of Utah agriculture, conserve our natural resources and protect our food supply.”

Although most insects are beneficial, pest infestations can be devastating, and UDAF Plant Industry has been addressing insect issues since pioneer agriculture began here 160 years ago.

Some economic estimates of losses to U.S. food crops due to pests approach 40%. Both newly introduced insects and outbreaks of endemic species can cause sudden losses much like a natural disaster. Trends that contribute to this potential include erratic weather patterns and climate change, intensive monoculture farming methods, and global commerce, which commonly transports materials of risk great distances. The UDAF Plant Industry Insect Program aims to protect Utah agriculture, food, and quality of life from losses due to insects.

State of Utah Insect Quarantines

Quarantine Fact Sheets

Problem Pests

Reports

Useful Contacts

Local Educational Links for Insects

The Commissioner of Agriculture has declared an Insect Emergency Infestation Area in Salt Lake County.

In 2019 the UDAF Invasive Insect Program detected 36 Japanese beetles in Salt Lake County.  The program has not detected this many beetles for more than a decade. To ensure that the Japanese beetle does not become established in the state, UDAF has declared an emergency and has prepared an eradication plan.

Visit our Japanese Beetle Eradication page to learn more.

Aaron Eagar, State Noxious Weed Program Manager (801) 602-1961

In administering the Utah Noxious Weed Control Act, the State Weed Specialist coordinates and monitors weed control programs throughout the state.

Utah Code and Administrative Rules Relating to Noxious Weeds

Related Links

Kris Watson, Program Manager (801) 982-2311

To apply for a Nursery License:

  1. Fill out the application
  2. Determine the license type and amount of money your license will cost
  3. Return the application via mail or deliver in person at the Utah Dept. Agriculture Main Office (350 N Redwood Rd. SLC UT 84116)

To check your license status:

  1. Visit the License Look-up page
  2. Scroll down to find Nursery License, click on the license type button
  3. Scroll down to find "YOUR NURSERY NAME" and notice the status

NOTE: Organization Provisional Permit no longer available, all entities selling perennial plants must obtain an annual nursery license.

UTAH CODE AND ADMINISTRATIVE RULES RELATING TO NURSERIES

RESOURCES

Utah Nursery and Landscape Association
American Nursery and Landscape Association
USDA Plants Database
National Plant Board
Western Plant Board

Dave Basinger, Program Manager (435) 636-3234

Current Licensee Lists and Fees

What We Do

Organic Production is a system that is managed by both state and federal standards for the response to site specific conditions in the growing or processing of foods, which conditions are managed by integrated cultural, biological and mechanical practices. It is the intent of organically grown or produced products to foster the cycling of resources, promote ecological balance, and conserve bio-diversity.

This program is intended to serve producers, processors and consumers of agricultural products. The goal is to manage a process that will maintain the integrity of food products produced without the use of restricted chemical inputs.

Contact

Specific information for the organic food program should be directed to:

Utah Department of Agriculture and Food
Organic Food Program Coordinator

Dave Basinger
Carbon County Administrative Bldg
751 E 100 N Ste 1700
Price, UT 84501
dbasinger@utah.gov

Utah certifies to the USDA NOP Standard:
National Organic Program Regulations 7 CFR Part 205

Utah Code and Administrative Rules Relating to Organic Production

Related Links

Click here to learn more about the Pesticides Program.

Click here to learn more about Plant Commodity Grading and Shipping.

Seed Lab Testing, Services, and Regulations

The Utah Department of Agriculture and Food (UDAF) is responsible for regulating the sale and labeling of agricultural, vegetable, flower, tree and shrub seeds that are sold, offered for sale, or transported within Utah. The program also examines the records of seed companies to ensure compliance with Utah and federal seed laws. 

The program additionally provides for sampling and testing of seed sold at the retail level to ensure compliance with Utah's seed law. Tests are conducted to check for proper germination, weed seed content, and other factors important to Utah consumers.