Applicators will have until Dec. 31 to renew their licenses
By Diego Flammini
Staff Writer
Farms.com
Certified pesticide applicators in Iowa will have more time to renew their licenses.
On March 22, Governor Kim Reynolds signed a proclamation allowing the Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship to extend the deadline for application renewals.
Anyone who was certified through Dec. 31, 2019 can keep his or her current license until Dec. 31, 2020.
The extension request came after the ag department cancelled its in-person testing sessions through March 31 based on social distancing suggestions from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
“I want to thank Gov. Reynolds for working with the Department to find a solution that allows our farmers and agribusinesses to continue operating while upholding the pesticide testing and certification standards in our state,” Mike Naig, Iowa’s secretary of agriculture, said in a statement. “Agriculture is a critical part of our state’s infrastructure. We will continue supporting the agriculture community to prevent supply chain interruptions during this unprecedented situation.”
The pesticide applicator license extension is one way Iowa is supporting farmers during the COVID-19 outbreak.
On March 20, Gov. Reynolds signed a public health emergency proclamation granting a temporary weight limit exemption and an extension of hours for trucks carrying corn and other ag goods.
The proclamation allows trucks to carry up to 90,000 pounds of ag goods per axle and is effective until midnight on April 16.
“On behalf of Iowa’s farmers, we extend a big thanks to Governor Reynolds for this proclamation as it provides tremendous help to farmers during this time of uncertainty as we work to get food and fuel across our state as well as the global system,” Jim Greif, president of Iowa Corn Growers Association, said in a statement.
Farms.com has reached out to Iowa farmers for comment on the proclamations.