2006 Louisiana Laws - RS 3:406 — Authority to acquire machinery, equipment, facilities, sales offices, market centers; farm produce marketing fund

§406.  Authority to acquire machinery, equipment, facilities, sales offices, market centers; farm produce marketing fund

A.  Pursuant to appropriations from the legislature, the commission may acquire any machinery, equipment, and facilities which are necessary to aid in the proper and efficient assembling, processing, storing, grading, distributing, and marketing of farm products of the state. The commission may rent or sell the machinery, equipment, and facilities to any qualified person, association of persons, or municipality of the state and execute agreements necessary for its proper safety, care, maintenance, and expedient use.  Prior to exercising such authority the commission shall promulgate regulations thereon in accordance with law.

B.  The commission may establish, operate, and maintain produce market centers and may establish, operate, and maintain sales offices at existing market centers in the state as the commission deems necessary or advisable for the promotion of the sale and distribution of Louisiana farm products, and to this end the commission may employ qualified sales directors and other employees required for the establishment, operation, and maintenance of the market centers and sales offices.

C.  The commission may charge an assessment on any produce distributed or marketed by such market centers and sales offices or may lease or rent the facilities of any such market center or sales office.  All revenues from such leases, rentals, or assessments shall be deposited into the state treasury in compliance with Article VII, Section 9 of the Constitution of Louisiana, and an amount equivalent thereto shall be credited to the commission and placed in a special fund designated as the Farm Produce Marketing Fund, to be used for the maintenance and the administration of said market centers or sales offices.  The commission may enter into contracts or agreements in which the commission may receive on behalf of a producer funds derived from the sale of produce at such market centers and retain the assessment levied under the provision of this Subsection prior to distribution of the proceeds to the producer.

Acts 1978, No. 242, §1. Amended by Acts 1981, No. 176, §1.