| NCDA To Charge Peak-Season Soil Testing Fee |
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The Appropriations Act of 2013 contains a provision to implement a new soil-testing fee. Pending final approval by the Board of Agriculture, a $4 fee will be charged for all soil samples processed by the NCDA&CS Agronomic Division during its busiest season: December through March. There will still be no fee from April through November.
“The peak-season fee is being proposed for several reasons” says Greg Traywick, County Extension Director. “It is projected to improve lab efficiency by encouraging more growers to sample early, thereby fostering a more balanced sample load throughout the year. It will also help sustain the soil-testing program by generating receipts that will be earmarked for lab improvements, such as automated equipment, additional peak-season personnel and computer-programming enhancements”.
“Clients who mail samples to the lab during the peak season will also need to know how to pay” Traywick added. Checks should not be placed inside the shipping container. Instead, clients will need to pay by credit card online in the PALS website, or set up an escrow account with the lab in advance.
The Agronomic Division provides a quality soil-testing service that includes comprehensive chemical soil analyses, site-specific lime and fertilizer recommendations and access to the consulting services of NCDA&CS agronomists. It costs NCDA&CS approximately $3.22 to analyze one sample, of which about $1 is covered by receipts from the state fertilizer inspection fee and lime tonnage tax.
For a typical 8-acre field in North Carolina, the peak-season fee will cost between $4 and $16, depending upon the intensity of the sampling protocol. Most North Carolina growers submit fewer than 50 samples per year according to 2010 data. Of the approximately 350,000 samples typically received each year, nearly 60 percent are analyzed from December through March, with turnaround times of up to 9 weeks.
The vast majority of soil samples analyzed during the winter months are from farms in preparation for spring planting. Most of these samples can be collected and submitted well before December 1, thus avoiding the fee. Nearly all soil samples associated with home & garden and landscaping projects can be collected and submitted from April through November.
Clients who desire expedited service during the peak season can purchase NCDA&CS expedited shippers to receive a guaranteed turnaround time of ten business days. A limited number of shippers are sold each year (usually in August or September). The anticipated 2013–14 price for a 36-sample shipper is $200.
For more information, contact the County Extension Center at 704-482-4365 or visit http://cleveland.ces.ncsu.edu/.
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