Texas, USA
October 9, 2015

As a result of increased costs associated with seed programs administered by the Texas Department of Agriculture (TDA) proposed fee increases have been released via the Texas Register and are available for review.  Please click here to download the proposed changes to seed law in Chapter 6. Please review these proposed changes.  If you have comments concerning any of the proposed changes please submit them to the appropriate person and copy the TSTA office so we can make comments on behalf of our membership.  Most comments will be directed to Mike Mann, the TDA Director for Agriculture Commodity Programs, but each section indicates who the contact person is for comments. 

As you will recall from the 2015 Legislative Session the seed programs were at risk due to forecast higher costs and than our current cost-recovery fee structure could accommodate.  Failure to cost-recover forecast increases put the entire program in jeopardy as the increases were viewed as essential to providing a similar or improved level of service.  In some cases a lack of a cost recovery fee increase made the program untenable. 

During the 2015 Legislative Session the additional fees identified as necessary for the strategy that contains seed certification was $161,596.  The strategy containing seed law enforcement required an additional $447,682.  Both these figures were calculated for the next biennium. The total cost recovery request for both strategies over the biennium was $609,278. It is our understanding the budget requests for these strategies includes both laboratory upgrades and maintenance and ensuring adequate inspection services. 

The fee increase proposals reflect TDA's best attempt to divide the  approximate number of individual inspections, tags, samples, and other services proportioned, into the total increase necessary for the enforcement and certification strategies. 

The TSTA office has requested the total budget numbers from TDA and will be comparing the proposed increases against that total. 

If you have comments please take this opportunity to make them!   To be considered all comments must be received by TDA within the next 30 days.  If you would prefer the TSTA to make your comments for you please communicate with us at your earliest convenience.   

Website: http://www.texasseedtrade.com

Published: October 9, 2015