2006 Code of Virginia § 3.1-1043 - Virginia Corn Commission continued as Virginia Corn Board; composition; appointment and terms; vaca...

3.1-1043. Virginia Corn Commission continued as Virginia Corn Board;composition; appointment and terms; vacancies; officers; expenses; powers andduties.

The Virginia Corn Commission within the Virginia Department of Agricultureand Consumer Services is continued and shall hereafter be known as theVirginia Corn Board. The Virginia Corn Board shall be composed of elevenmembers appointed by the Governor and confirmed in accordance with 2.2-107from nominations by the several producer organizations representing cornproducers. The several producer organizations representing corn producersshall nominate at least two producers from each producer area of corn asdefined herein: Area I: the Counties of Accomack, Northampton, and Isle ofWight; the Cities of Suffolk, Chesapeake, and Virginia Beach; Area II: theCounties of Southampton, Sussex, Surry, Prince George, Dinwiddie,Greensville, and Brunswick; Area III: the Counties of Westmoreland,Northumberland, Richmond, Lancaster, Essex, Middlesex, Mathews, King andQueen, Gloucester, King William, New Kent, York, Charles City and James City,and the City of Newport News; Area IV: the Counties of Henrico, Hanover,Caroline, King George, Goochland, Louisa, Spotsylvania, Stafford, Fluvanna,Orange, Culpeper, Albemarle, Greene and Madison; Area V: the Counties ofPrince William, Fairfax, Fauquier, Loudoun, Rappahannock, Warren, Clarke,Page, Shenandoah, and Frederick; Area VI: the Counties of Mecklenburg,Lunenburg, Nottoway, Amelia, Chesterfield, Halifax, Charlotte, Prince Edward,Cumberland, Powhatan, Pittsylvania, Campbell, Appomattox, Buckingham,Bedford, Amherst and Nelson; Area VII: the Counties of Henry, Franklin,Roanoke, Botetourt, Rockbridge, Augusta, Rockingham, Patrick, Floyd,Montgomery, Craig, Alleghany, Bath, Highland, Carroll, Pulaski, Giles,Grayson, Wythe, Bland, Smyth, Tazewell, Washington, Russell, Buchanan, Scott,Wise, Dickenson and Lee. The Governor shall appoint at least one producerfrom each producer area as herein described and the membership of theVirginia Corn Board shall be composed of a majority of producers. TheGovernor shall appoint one member, if available, from each of the followingclassifications: seedsman, processor, country buyer and exporter.

For the purpose of this chapter, the term "producer" shall mean any farmerwho produced and sold corn during the past three years; "seedsman" shallmean any person or firm who offers corn seeds for sale; "processor" shallmean any person or firm who changes the physical form or characteristic ofcorn for the purpose of preparing it for sale; "country buyer" shall meanany person or firm who buys corn from the producer; and "exporter" shallmean any person or firm offering corn for export sale.

The initial appointments shall be as follows: four members for a term ofthree years; four members for a term of two years; and three members for aterm of one year; appointments thereafter shall be for three-year terms.Vacancies occurring before the expiration of such terms shall be filled bythe Governor for the unexpired term. If possible such vacancies shall befilled from the producer area or classification from which the vacancyoccurred from nominations as described in the provisions of this section. TheVirginia Corn Board shall elect a chairman, vice-chairman and such otherofficers as may be required. The Virginia Corn Board shall have charge of themanagement and expenditure of the Virginia Corn Fund established in the statetreasury. The Virginia Corn Board may establish an executive committee andcharge it with such powers, duties and functions as is deemed proper. Themembers of the Virginia Corn Board shall not receive compensation forattendance at meetings of the Virginia Corn Board, but shall be reimbursedfor actual and necessary expenses incurred in the performance of their duties.

The Virginia Corn Board shall have power to expend funds to provide forprograms of market development, education, publicity, research and thepromotion of the sale and use of corn; to manage the funds so as toaccumulate a reserve for contingencies; to establish an office and employsuch technical, professional and other assistants as may be required; and tocontract for market development, publicity, research, advertising and otherpromotional services.

The Board may enter into an agreement with the Federal Commodity CreditCorporation to collect the specified assessment on all corn pledged ascollateral for a commodity credit corporation price support loan or purchaseby the Federal Commodity Credit Corporation under its loan or purchaseprograms.

The chairman of the Virginia Corn Board shall make a report at each annualmeeting of the Virginia Corn Board and furnish the members of the VirginiaCorn Board with a statement of the total receipts and disbursements for theyear. He shall file a copy of such report with the Commissioner and theseveral producer organizations representing corn producers, and shall makecopies of such report available for publication.

(1980, c. 395; 1985, c. 448; 1987, c. 476.)