NEW AGRICULTURAL LAWS TO GO INTO EFFECT JULY 1

ANNAPOLIS, MD (June 24, 2011) – Next week, numerous laws and regulations regarding agriculture will go into effect. These laws will define locally grown food, allow wine to be shipped in and out of state, transfer Seafood Marketing and Aquaculture Development to the Maryland Department of Natural Resources, and increase Weights and Measures registration fees.

“A recent study found that 78 percent of Marylanders are more likely to buy produce that is identified as having been grown by a Maryland farmer,” said Agriculture Secretary Buddy Hance. “We are very pleased by the public’s support of local Maryland farms and their desire to provide fresh and nutritious food to their families. These new agricultural laws and regulations will protect the best interests of the both consumer and Maryland producers.”

Regulations concerning the advertisement of “local” foods go into effect June 27. If advertising a food product as ‘local’, the new regulations will require businesses to have point-of-sale signage indicating the state of origin of its product. These products include raw meat, eggs, fish, fruits, vegetables, shellfish and processed dairy products. Given the growing interest in buying locally, the regulations support Maryland farmers and enable consumers to determine for themselves whether or not they consider a product “local”.

Additional laws going into effect July 1 include the following:

HB 1175, The Direct Wine Shipping law will allow wine to be shipped to Maryland citizens from in- and out-of-state wineries. The law stipulates that the wine must originate from a winery—not a retailer or auction house—and must be limited to 18 shipments per year per household.
HB 1053, Seafood Marketing and Aquaculture Development will be transferring from the Maryland Department of Agriculture to the Department of Natural Resources. The purpose of this law is to streamline the development, oversight and permitting process for the aquaculture and seafood industries into one agency.
HB 293, Weights and Measures registration fees will be increased for scales with a capacity of up to 100 pounds and retail motor fuel dispenser meters of under 20 gallons per minute. Some of these measuring devices include deli counter scales and gasoline pumps. The bill also repeals a general fund reversion provision and will now allow any unspent money in a given fiscal year to be used the following year.
For more information on the Buy Local Regulations, visit: www.mda.state.md.us/pdf/buylocalfaq.pdf or call Mark Powell at 410-841-5770.