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Board of Livestock Holds the Line on Per Capita Fees

Despite rising operational costs and a challenging fiscal forecast, the Montana Board of Livestock held the line on per capita fees for livestock at its meeting in Bozeman , September 21-22.

The board unanimously voted to keep per capita fees – which are assessed on “all poultry and bees, all swine three months of age or older, and all other livestock nine months of age or older" – for all livestock except domestic ungulates at the same level for the third consecutive year.

"These are challenging times for the state's livestock producers, and we hope that holding the line on per capita fees will help them out a bit," said board chair Janice French, a cattle producer from Hobson. "Every sector of Montana 's livestock industry – beef cattle, pork, dairy – has been hit hard by the economic downturn, and every little bit helps."

Authorized by Montana Code Annotated 15-24-921, per capita fees generate roughly one-third of the department's overall budget. The fees, which fund animal health programs, brands enforcement, theft investigation and recovery, and predator control, will generate approximately $3,657,591 in FY2010.

Roughly three-quarters of the department's legislatively authorized budget is funded with state special revenues – funds paid by the livestock industry – with the remainder derived from federal funds (approximately 15 percent) and state general funds (approximately 10 percent). In addition to the per capita fee, other state special revenues are derived from inspection and control fees, such as brand enforcement revenues, lab testing fees and milk inspection fees.

Per capita fees are used only on operations directly relating to the livestock industry. No per capita fees are used for Meat & Milk Inspection, the Milk Control Board, the Livestock Loss Reduction & Mitigation Board or the Board of Horse Racing.

The total amount generated by per capita fees increased by $51,645 year over year despite a decrease in head counts for the state's two most numerous species of livestock, cattle and sheep/goats. After rising for three straight years, cattle numbers fell by 27,342 head,  while sheep and goat numbers fell by 8,648 head. The difference was made up by increased numbers of horses, swine, bees and bison.

In other board news:

• The board toured the Montana Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory for a first-hand look at what the lab does. "We're so fortunate to have such a good diagnostic lab and lab director," French said. "Dr. Layton has done a tremendous job with the lab, which is critically important to the industry.

• State veterinarian Dr. Marty Zaluski provided the board with an update on the department's Brucellosis Action Plan.

The board will hold its next meeting November 16 in Helena .

For additional information on per capita fees, see the department's web site at http://liv.mt.gov/liv/CS/percapita.asp.

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