159.20 - POWERS OF DEPARTMENT.

        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 Iowa department of economic development
      to avoid duplication of efforts between the department and the
      agricultural marketing program operated by the Iowa department of
      economic development.
         j.  Assist the office of renewable fuels and coproducts and
      the renewable fuels and coproducts advisory committee in
      administering the provisions of chapter 159A.
         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.  
         Section History: Early Form
         [C62, 66, 71, 73, 75, 77, 79, 81, § 159.20] 
         Section History: Recent Form
         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
         Agricultural products advisory council, see § 15.203