BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) - Louisiana's agriculture department is starting a program to collect unwanted pesticides from farmers.

  

The pickup program will be held at different locations around the state annually, with the first dates and dropoff locations to be announced in late September.

  

LSU AgCenter extension agents will help compile the inventory list of pesticide products in each parish, which will aid in determining the amount and type of products needing disposal. That information will help decide the dropoff locations.

  

Currently, agricultural producers who want to get rid of pesticides must hire a licensed contractor and pay a fee based on the amount of product submitted for disposal.

  

The agriculture department says its product disposal program will be free to farmers, paid through fees from pesticide manufacturers' product registrations in Louisiana.