159.20 Powers of department.

1. The department shall perform duties designed to lead to more advantageous marketing of Iowa agricultural commodities. The department may do any of the following:

a. Investigate the marketing of agricultural commodities.

b. Promote the sale, distribution, and merchandising of agricultural commodities.

c. Furnish information and assistance concerning agricultural commodities to the public.

d. Cooperate with the college of agriculture and life sciences of the Iowa state university of science and technology in encouraging agricultural marketing education and research.

e. Accumulate and diffuse information concerning the marketing of agricultural commodities in cooperation with persons, agencies, or the federal government.

f. Investigate methods and practices related to the processing, handling, grading, classifying, sorting, weighing, packing, transportation, storage, inspection, or merchandising of agricultural commodities within this state.

g. Ascertain sources of supply for Iowa agricultural commodities. The department shall prepare and periodically publish lists of names and addresses of producers and consignors of agricultural commodities.

h. Perform inspection or grading of an agricultural commodity if requested by a person engaged in the production, marketing, or processing of the agricultural commodity. However, the person must pay for the services as provided by rules adopted by the department.

i. Cooperate with the economic development authority to avoid duplication of efforts between the department and the agricultural marketing program operated by the economic development authority.

j. Provide for the promotion and expansion of renewable fuels and coproducts, by doing all of the following:

(1) Assist the office of renewable fuels and coproducts in administering the provisions of chapter 159A, subchapter II.

(2) Assist the renewable fuel infrastructure board, provide for the administration of the renewable fuel infrastructure programs, and provide for the management of the renewable fuel infrastructure fund, as provided in chapter 159A, subchapter III.

2. As used in this subchapter:

a. “Agricultural commodity” means any unprocessed agricultural product, including animals, agricultural crops, and forestry products grown, raised, produced, or fed in Iowa for sale in commercial channels.

b. “Commercial channels” means the processes for sale of an agricultural commodity or unprocessed product from the agricultural commodity to any person, public or private, who resells the agricultural commodity for breeding, processing, slaughter, or distribution.

[C62, 66, 71, 73, 75, 77, 79, 81, §159.20]

86 Acts, ch 1245, §610; 91 Acts, ch 254, §4; 92 Acts, ch 1163, §39; 92 Acts, ch 1239, §26 – 28; 94 Acts, ch 1119, §10; 98 Acts, ch 1032, §3; 2008 Acts, ch 1032, §27; 2009 Acts, ch 41, §58; 2010 Acts, ch 1031, §237; 2011 Acts, ch 113, §45, 56; 2011 Acts, ch 118, §85, 89; 2012 Acts, ch 1021, §121, 141, 144