The legislature hereby declares that the purposes of this act [76-10-1 to 76-10-10 NMSA 1978] are to promote, encourage, aid and protect the planting and growing of pure strains of sugar beet seed, vegetable seed, melon seed and seed for other crops, through providing statutory regulations to protect such pure strains of seeds from either natural, accidental or willful cross-fertilization, mixing or other contamination which would result in rendering otherwise pure strains impure, and thereby render the product valueless for seed purposes and result in economic loss to the grower.

In order that crops designed and intended for the production of pure strains of seed may be grown under proper conditions for the protection of the purity of such seeds, the legislature further declares that it is the purpose of this act to make legal provision for the protection of such pure strains by insuring that they may be planted at such distances from other varieties, plots or smaller plantings of other varieties or strains of the same or nearly related species as to prevent cross-pollination, or mixing, or crossing, or otherwise rendering the seed impure by any other natural or accidental means; that it believes this purpose best can be accomplished by restricting within certain areas to be defined and delimited by the regents of the agricultural college of New Mexico [New Mexico state university], the planting and growing of but one variety or strain of a given species or nearly related species of plants or crops; that by this means alone is it possible to bring the industry of sugar beet seed production in this state to its highest possible development and to insure the growing of pure strains of seed of superior and economically profitable varieties of other species of plants; that such protection to the growers of pure strains of seed is essential to the economical development and advancement of the agriculture of this state; that to permit the natural, accidental or willful interference with the production of pure strains of seed would result in economic loss to the state and to the prospective grower and that the state and the prospective grower should be properly protected by legislative enactment; that the purpose of this act shall be construed to be for the proper development of the agriculture of this state through promoting and providing for the protection of the grower of pure strains of seed.

History: Laws 1933, ch. 174, § 1; 1941 Comp., § 48-1101; 1953 Comp., § 45-12-1.

Bracketed material. — The bracketed material was inserted by the compiler and is not part of the law.

The name of the New Mexico college of agriculture and mechanic arts was changed to the New Mexico state university by N.M. Const., art. XII, § 11, as repealed and reenacted November 8, 1960.

Cross references. — For enforcement of statutes relating to agriculture and horticulture by regents of New Mexico state university, see 21-8-8 NMSA 1978.

Am. Jur. 2d, A.L.R. and C.J.S. references. — 3 Am. Jur. 2d Agriculture § 55.

Validity of statutes, ordinances, or regulations for protection of vegetation against disease or infection, 70 A.L.R.2d 852.

3 C.J.S. Agriculture § 3.