The Kentucky Department of Agriculture looks for ways to cope with budget cuts.

by Kentucky Agriculture Commissioner Richie Farmer


Massive state budget cuts have made it more challenging for the Kentucky Department of Agriculture to perform its duties and provide the services that the citizens of the Commonwealth expect and deserve.

In this budgetary environment, the Department is constantly looking for ways to give you more and better service for your tax dollars. Recently the KDA adopted two Internet-based systems that enable us to carry out our pesticide regulation and environmental enforcement duties more efficiently, improving customer service and staff productivity.

Companies that sell pesticide products in Kentucky can now register new pesticide products, renew existing pesticide products and pay fees online through the Pesticide Product Registration System. Also, the Kentucky Compliance Activity Tracking System (KYCATS) enhances the ability of the KDA’s Division of Environmental Services to track its enforcement activities.

Our Environmental Services and Information Technology staffs have worked very hard to make these systems easy to use and able to provide accurate information in a timely manner. They help KDA work more efficiently, which benefits both consumers and pesticide businesses.

The systems eliminate a large amount of paperwork for our staff. The Pesticide Product Registration System also reduces paperwork for pesticide companies, offers additional payment options and is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week for companies to access at their convenience.

I commend our Environmental Services and Information Technology staffs for their hard work in implementing both of these important innovations. They help the Department provide the taxpayers of Kentucky with more services, productivity and efficiency out of fewer tax dollars.

This is just the latest in a number of actions the Department has taken to stretch our shrinking budget and provide you the services you expect and deserve. In the past year we have left dozens of positions open as a result of retirements. But there is only so much more we can do with less.

Our pesticide regulation program is just one of many ways the Kentucky Department of Agriculture affects the lives of all Kentuckians every day. When you fill your car up with gas, buy clothes at a department store or perform any other transaction in commerce, the Department has been there to make sure you pay the right price.

But continued state budget cuts are making it harder for our dedicated employees to carry out their important duties, like safeguarding Kentucky’s livestock, helping farmers across the Commonwealth market their products, inspecting eggs and performing many other responsibilities that are essential to our way of life. Go to www.kyagr.com and see all the things the KDA does for you.

If you agree with me that all the things the Kentucky Department of Agriculture does for the citizens of Kentucky are important, then let your state legislators know. Go to www.lrc.ky.gov to find out how to contact them, or leave them a message toll free at 1-800-372-7181. Please ask them to fully fund the KDA’s budget and keep 50 percent of Kentucky’s share of the Tobacco Master Settlement Agreement devoted to agriculture.
Thank you in advance for your support of Kentucky agriculture.