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Many farmers and applicators will soon apply anhydrous ammonia (NH3) prior to planting or sidedress after planting. Even with a rush against time and the weather, safety should never be compromised. Accidents involving anhydrous ammonia have proven how dangerous and deadly the chemical can be when not handled properly.

The Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) is providing the following tips to farmers and applicators so they can safely apply anhydrous ammonia.

• Always wear appropriate goggles and gloves. Never wear contact lenses.
• Be sure to have a clean, adequate emergency water supply of at least 5 gallons.
• Exercise caution when making connections and disconnections as if lines contain anhydrous ammonia.
• Stand upwind when connecting, disconnecting, bleeding lines, or transferring NH3. Also, close, bleed, disconnect, and secure valves and transfer lines when taking breaks or disconnecting lines, and be sure to handle hose end valve by the valve body.
• Position equipment away and downwind from homes, people, and livestock.

Safety is also key to those maintaining anhydrous ammonia equipment. Never assume NH3 lines are empty, always wear proper protective equipment, and have access to safety water.

When towing a nurse tank down the road, drive sensibly. Do not go any faster than 30 miles per hour, display a slow-moving vehicle (SVM) emblem visible from the rear, and be sure the tank is secured to the tractor or truck with two separate, independent chains that supplement the hitch pin/clip.

If an accident or spill occurs, immediately call 911 and then the Minnesota Duty Officer at 1-800-422-0798 or 651-649-5451.

You can find more safety, storage, and transportation information on the MDA’s website at www.mda.state.mn.us/nh3.

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Media Contact
Allen Sommerfeld, MDA Communications
651-201-6185
Allen.Sommerfeld@state.mn.us

Those wanting to grow and process hemp in Minnesota in 2023 must apply for a license with the Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) by April 30. To date, over 160 people have applied for an MDA license.

The online application for growers and processors can be found on the MDA website at www.mda.state.mn.us/industrialhemp. Along with the online form, first-time applicants need to submit fingerprints and pass a criminal background check.

This is the eighth year of the state’s Hemp Program. Last year, 293 people held licenses to grow or process hemp. Over 375 acres and 122,040 indoor square feet were planted in Minnesota in 2022.

Growers and processors need to be aware of the following for 2023:

• The tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) testing fee per grower sample will cost $100.
• Penalties may be assessed to growers that do not submit Planting and Harvest Report forms.
• Growers are required to complete a Farm Service Agency (FSA) 578 form for all hemp varieties and locations planted. If a grower fails to submit this data to FSA in the required time, the MDA will not be allowed to sample and test those fields, nor issue a Fit for Commerce Certificate for those hemp lots.
• A grower license starts at $400.
• The minimum cost of a processor license is $500.

Anyone growing on tribal lands within a reservation’s boundaries or other lands under tribal jurisdiction (e.g., trust lands off-reservation) must obtain a license from the tribe or the USDA if the tribe does not have an approved hemp production plan.

Questions about the MDA’s Hemp Program should be sent to hemp.mda@state.mn.us or 651-201-6600.

Background

Industrial hemp and marijuana are both types of the same plant, Cannabis sativa. They differ by the concentration level of the psychoactive compound tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) within the plant. Hemp has less than 0.3% THC, and levels above that are considered marijuana.

Minnesota operated under a hemp pilot program from 2016-2020. In 2021, the program began operating under a new, federally approved state plan that governs production and regulation.

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Media Contact
Brittany Raveill, MDA Communications
651-201-6131
Brittany.Raveill@state.mn.us