Bill’s sponsor says it will bring cost of nutrient management plans ‘back to a reasonable rate’
Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt has signed into law a bill that tasks the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry (ODAFF) with the job of creating and regulating poultry feeding in the state.
House Bill 2983, sponsored by Rep. David Hardin (R-Stilwell), gives the state department rulemaking power around poultry feeding, rather than the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS).
“We need Oklahoma solutions for Oklahoma issues, plain and simple,” Hardin said. “This bill allows ODAFF to create and apply the rules that poultry farmers must follow, and will bring the cost of nutrient management plans back to a reasonable rate for Oklahoma farmers.”
HB 2983 modifies the best management practices for poultry feeding operations by requiring poultry waste applicators to meet standards set by administrative rules, rather than standards set by the USDA NRCS, and directs the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry to promulgate the emergency rules.
“I would like to thank ODAFF, the Poultry Federation, Oklahoma Farm Bureau, the Grand River Dam Authority, Conservation Districts and others for coming together to support this legislation,” Hardin said. “This was truly a collaborative effort to address the needs of Oklahoma poultry farmers and HB 2983 helps provide stability and relief for them.”
HB 2983 had an emergency clause attached to it and went into effect immediately upon the governor’s signature.
