Statutory Services and Responsibilities - Introduction
The Idaho State Department of Agriculture is an agency that employs, on average, approximately 400 employees in support of Idaho’s $4 billion agriculture industry. We are responsible for enforcing 65 sections of Idaho code and the supporting rules. Approximately 67 percent of our budget is comprised of dedicated funding, 14 percent is federal funding, and 21 percent is general funding.
The department derives its statutory authority from Idaho Code, Title 22 Agriculture and Horticulture, Chapter 1.
We house a marketing department that leverages state tax dollars with U.S. Department of Agriculture funds that are available only to state departments of agriculture. We are home to two programs supported in part by general fund programs. The first is the Bureau of Weights and Measures, which is a program that ensures consumers are getting what they pay for at the gas pump; in the grocery store; and in almost every other aspect of life where quantity and/or volume is the basis for commerce. The second is the Soil Conservation Commission, an independent agency that is responsible for agriculture water quality in Idaho, and for distributing state and federal dollars for conservation projects on private land.
The Idaho State Department of Agriculture serves the agriculture industry and the consumer through regulatory and service activities. As is the case in all businesses, we have available to us tremendous opportunities to serve Idahoans, as well as difficult challenges that are straining our financial resources.
Our opportunities include responsibilities for sanitary, phytosanitary and animal health standards that make it possible for Idaho producers to ship their products around the country and the world. We regulate pesticide use in Idaho, and take special pride in a program that is noted to be one of the best in the country. We protect the health of Idahoans through our egg and dairy inspections programs, and by managing diseases in animals that can also affect people. We are leaders among states in our commodity and seed indemnity fund programs; in our dairy and beef water quality programs; and in our consumer protection partnership with Primus Labs that establishes compliance to Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) and Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP).
The department is also facing many challenges. Odor and smoke continue to strain resources as we accept more responsibility and stretch our efforts to address these critical issues with existing staff and reduced program dollars.
Idaho agriculture is more than willing to continue to fund the majority of what we do – as long as the market will bear the cost. As we face ever increasing demands from consumers, special interest groups, and the agriculture industry itself, we must continue to aggressively look at how we serve all Idahoans.
A brief summary of the department's statutory responsibilities and services, with appropriate Idaho code siting, can be accessed through the alphabetical listing provided on the left hand side of this page or a more thorough review with actual Idaho Code links can be found under the main heading of Laws & Rules on our homepage.
However, please remember that the information contained in this document is for general information only. The application and impact of laws and rules can vary widely based on the specific facts involved. Given the changing nature of laws and rules and the inherent hazards of electronic communication, there may be delays, omissions or inaccuracies in the information contained in this document. Accordingly, the information contained in this document is provided with the understanding that the authors are not engaged in rendering legal or other professional advice and services. As such, this document should not be used as a substitute for consultation with legal or other professional advisers. All information in this document is provided “as is”, with no guarantee of completeness, accuracy, timeliness or of the results obtained from the use of this information, and without warranty of any kind, express or implied.