Semi-Annual Tonnage Reporting FAQ

Who is responsible for submitting Semi-Annual fertilizer tonnage reports to the Montana Department of Agriculture (MDA)?

Each separate location that has a fertilizer license with MDA must fill out and submit a Semi-Annual Tonnage report. This also applies if no sales or distributions occurred during the six-month period.

Are there fees associated with the Semi-Annual tonnage report?

No fees are associated with this report.

If I distribute fertilizer between in-state licensed facilities do I report those tonnages?

No. The only tonnage reported are the tons of fertilizer distributed to a non-licensed entity. Most commonly the non-licensed entity is a producer.

If I distribute lawn and garden products, is the tonnage of those products reported on the Semi-Annual tonnage report?

No. Fertilizer and soil amendments that are primarily non-farm use (lawn, garden, ornamentals, turf) are not reported. The department considers these as “Specialty Products” and are categorized differently than agricultural production use products.

What information should I report to the department?

The department provides forms and requests that tonnage be reported by type, tons, and to which county it was distributed.

Why does MDA request tonnage by fertilizer type and the name of the county it was distributed?

The information gathered on the Semi-Annual Report form (distribution of fertilizer by type at the county level) is used by the fertilizer industry, state and federal agencies, and by private companies. The data is submitted annually to the Association of American Plant Food Control Officials (AAPFCO) and entered into their Uniform Fertilizer Tonnage Reporting System (UFTRS) data base. This information is then published in partnership with The Fertilizer Institute (TFI) in an annual report.

The following is a scenario, explanation and example of what the department is requesting for entry on the Semi-Annual tonnage report form.

Scenario: My blending facility is located in Cascade County. I sold a farm blend to a producer in Teton County. The blend I distributed was a grade of 32-12-8 to be spread at a rate of 100 lbs./acre. I used 3 different base fertilizers to make the blend. The base fertilizers used to make the blend were Urea, MAP and Potash.

Explanation: When reporting, do not enter the blend grade. Please break down the farm blend to the amount of each base product used to create the blend. According to my blend sheet I used 3000 lbs. (1.5 tons) of Urea 46-0-0, 1100 lbs. (0.55 tons) of MAP 11-52-0 and 600 lbs. (0.3 tons) of Potash 0-0-62 to create my farm blend grade of 32-12-8.

What MDA requests: The information on the form the department provides requests the 1) UFTRS Code 2) Grade 3) County it was distributed to and 4) the number of tons distributed and whether it was bagged, bulk or liquid. So according to the above scenario and explanation I would report the following for the base products:

UREA: 1) UFTRS CODE: 66 2) GRADE: 46-0-0 3) COUNTY: Teton 4) TONS: Bulk (dry) 1.5
MAP: 1) UFTRS CODE: 209 2) GRADE: 11-52-0 3) COUNTY: Teton 4) TONS: Bulk (dry) 0.55
POTASH: 1) UFTRS CODE: 430 2) GRADE: 0-0-62 3) COUNTY: Teton 4) TONS: Bulk (dry) 0.3

Like base fertilizers per county should be compiled. This means that if you had other blends go to Teton County that contained Urea all the tons of Urea that were distributed to that county should be added up and entered on one line. The same applies to all like products.

What about soil amendments used in agriculture crop production? Are they reported like fertilizers?

Yes. Soil Amendments for agricultural use are reported on the Semi-Annual tonnage report. The same laws apply to soil amendments as for fertilizers.

When is this report due?

Reporting periods end June 30 and Dec 31 with reports due no later than 30 days after the end of the reporting period.