A bill pending in the state legislature aims to help dairy farmers meet expected cost increases for implementing new manure regulations. The bill authorizes an income tax credit for Ohio livestock owners who make eligible investments in equipment and facilities for storing and handling manure as well as its application and transportation.
The credit is capped at 50 percent of the investments made between 2005 and Jan. 1, 2020. Livestock owners are to claim the credit over five years. Eligible investments are defined as those incurred to meet state law covering manure in the watershed of the western basin of Lake Erie and to meet U.S. Department of Agriculture regulations in other parts of the state.
Representative Brian Hill, R-Zanesville, said the passage of Senate Bill 1 in 2015 resulted in costly regulations for livestock producers. “The new regulations on small livestock producers are set to take effect in less than two years and will take effect for mid-sized producers in less than a year. This short timeframe immediately puts these farmers on-the-clock to create a plan to change