§ 3-404 — Marketing order and marketing agreement programs

A. A marketing order or marketing agreement applies to all producers and shippers included under the terms of the order or agreement.

B. A marketing order or marketing agreement may:

1. Provide for establishing standards for the quality, condition, size or maturity of a commodity marketed in or shipped outside this state. Standards shall not be less than the standards provided by articles 2 and 4 of this chapter and rules adopted pursuant to those articles.

2. Provide for establishing, and verifying compliance with, food safety standards.

3. Provide for plans to conduct programs for advertising and sales promotion.

4. Provide for research studies to improve production, distribution and marketing.

5. Provide for educational programs designed to inform producers and shippers about quality improvement or about practices, procedures and methods used in production, processing and marketing.

6. Provide for research and educational programs concerning health, food, nutritional, therapeutic and dietetic qualities or for developing new food products or new uses for agricultural products.

7. Provide programs to control and eradicate insects, disease and parasites.

8. Provide for establishing and regulating the use of an official brand, trade name or label.

9. Provide programs to gather and disseminate weather data to producers.

10. Provide for developing and funding programs, jointly or cooperatively, with public or private organizations, including funding marketing information services.

11. Authorize persons to participate in hearings regarding agricultural chemicals that are used by the affected commodity.