As of Friday, the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency increased its feedlot permit application fees by 48 percent and 56 percent. That announcement was made less than 24 hours before taking effect. Minnesota AgriGrowth Council Executive Director Darin Broten is disappointed in the lack of communication from the agency. “The MPCA held more than a dozen feedlot meetings during the month of June on their rulemaking and that would have been a great opportunity to communicate that the agency was considering the raising of these fees.” The MPCA has not raised these fees since 2010, but the timing remains a concern with the current farm economy. “The fact that the agency went ahead and made the decision without clear communication is not great and I would assume the agency and the Governor are going to hear about this at Farmfest.” In a statement released by the Minnesota Soybean Growers Association, one director said this move ‘shows how out of touch the MPCA is with the realities of the ag economy.’
