The Department of Agriculture and Food is responsible for the administration of Utah’s agricultural laws, which mandate a wide variety of activities including inspection, regulation, information, rulemaking, loan issuance, marketing and development, pest and disease control, improving the economic position of agriculture, and consumer protection.
Office of the Commissioner: Helps the Department fulfill its mission to protect and promote agriculture by raising public awareness and demand for Utah agriculture and food products.
- Utah’s Own and farmers markets
- Marketing/Communications/Public Relations
- Cannabis Program
- Industrial Hemp Program
- Domestic & international marketing
- Market news reporting
- Commodity Marketing Orders
- Specialty Crop Block Grant
- USDA federal-state marketing improvement program
- WUSATA (Western US Agriculture Trade Association)
- Homeland Security and Risk Management
Administrative Services Division: Provides support to all divisions within the Department to ensure state policies are implemented to meet audits conducted by State Finance and State Auditor’s Office.
- Financial support to divisions
Animal Division: Prevention and control of animal disease and then through six main programs.
- Animal health
- Meat and poultry inspection
- Livestock inspection
- Fish health
- Elk farming and elk hunting parks
- Veterinary diagnostic labs
Conservation Division: Preserve and protect Utah’s soil and water resources and ensure the development and utilization for the betterment of Utah agriculture and its people.
- ARDL (Agriculture Resource Development Loan)
- Low Cost and Rural Rehab Loans
- ACES (Agriculture Certificate of Environmental Stewardship)
- Conservation Districts – Elected citizens working locally to improve natural resources
Laboratory Analytics Division: State laboratory chemists and microbiologists verify food and product samplings as a service for other department divisions.
- Chemical, physical, microbiological and pesticide analysis
- Meat and dairy quality testing
- Consumer complaint sampling
Plant Division: Ensures disease and pest-free plants, grains, seeds, as well as properly labeled agricultural commodities, and the safe application of pesticides and farm chemicals. Assist farmers and ranchers in caring for and enhancing Utah’s natural resources.
- Insect control
- Fertilizer and Feed
- Seed & grain inspection/testing
- Pesticide applicator licensing and product registration
- Fruit & vegetable inspection & grading
- Noxious & invasive weeds
- Plant quarantine & pest survey
- Organic certification
- Nursery program
- (GIP) The Grazing Improvement Program.
Regulatory Division: Food safety oversight and consumer protection of agricultural products and services.
- Consumer protection
- Weights and measures
- Dairy and egg farm inspections
- Food establishment inspections
- Food labeling and food safety compliance
- Bedding, quilted clothing, upholstered furniture
