Tipsheet

WI Governor Tony Evers' Administration Proposes Astronomical Fee Hikes on State Agriculture and Farmers

Amy Curtis
Amy Curtis  |  October 15, 2025 12:30 PM

Wisconsin's Democratic Governor, Tony Evers, is making a move to change Wisconsin’s Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP) rules, a step that the Wisconsin Farm Bureau Federation (WFBF) is warning will increase fees on WI farms and agriculture by 1700%.

Here's more from the WFBF:

The Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP) has proposed sweeping changes to rules, ATCP 10 and 12, regulating Animal Disease and Movement and Animal Markets, Dealers and Truckers. These changes include massive fee increases, some nearly 1700% above current rates. These proposed fees present a substantial financial burden to markets, dealers and truckers that will unavoidably be passed down to farmers.

The inspections and public health activity costs of these programs have previously been partially funded by state funding in Wisconsin, as they are in all our neighboring states. DATCP’s proposal shifts the full cost of these programs onto industry fees. DATCP should restore and continue state funding support and pursue more reasonable fees to sustain these programs.

In a statement from DATCP, they defended the move to change ATCP 10 and increase fees, writing:

Most fees in this rule were last increased in 2008 and 2009. Over time, standard costs have continued to increase. The associated program revenue appropriation no longer has adequate revenue to recover costs.DATCP is not able to reduce expenditures to the level of current revenues without resulting in a failure to fulfill statutory requirements.

The proposed fees would ensure recovery of annual program costs and would gradually eliminate the projected negative cash balance over a period of years. Without the proposed fee increase, the appropriation would operate in a negative cash balance until a different change occurs, such as the creation of an alternative funding source or a statutory change. The Department would report the negative cash balance to the Joint Committee on Finance.

They said something similar about ATCP 12, noting the fees for ATCP 12 were last increased in 2009.

"This proposal is to massively increase fees for the programs and registration fees and inspection fees for animal markets, dealers and truckers, and some of these fees are increasing 17-hundred percent," said Executive Director for Government Relations with the WFBF, Jason Mugnaini.

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Here are some of the proposed changes to the fees:

  • Farm-raised deer facility registrations would increase from $85 to $495
  • Fish farm registrations would increase from $300 to $1,570
  • Annual fees for Class A Market Animals would increase from $420 to $7,430

Of course, those fees and increased costs would not only be passed on to truckers, agriculture facilities and farmers, but to Wisconsin consumers as well.

Markets and livestock truckers, even those who don't hold direct licenses themselves, would see massive fee hikes, which means higher hauling rates -- which would be passed on to others including farmers and consumers.

Chad Doran, of Americans for Prosperity of Wisconsin, wrote on X, "Even if you’re not a farmer, or you don’t even know one, this will still have an effect on you. The Evers administration is raising fees on farmers to unheard of levels.  Guess who farmers will have to pass those costs on to? Share your concerns TODAY!"

The WFBF is encouraging concerned Wisconsinites to reach out to the DATCP directly at their website, and they include a sample of the letter you can cut and paste to email or mail to the DATCP.