MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE

2001 Regular Session

To: Agriculture

By: Senator(s) Williamson

AN ACT TO AMEND SECTION 69-1-13, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO AUTHORIZE THE COMMISSIONER OF AGRICULTURE TO INSPECT DISEASED OR DEAD POULTRY BEING RAISED UNDER CONTRACT FOR HUMAN CONSUMPTION TO DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF ILLNESS AND TO ANALYZE CHICKEN FEED FOR NUTRITIONAL CONTENT; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI:

SECTION 1. Section 69-1-13, Mississippi Code of 1972, is amended as follows:

69-1-13. The following are the duties of the Commissioner of Agriculture and Commerce:

(a) He shall encourage the proper development of agriculture, horticulture and kindred industries.

(b) He shall encourage the organization of neighborhood and county agricultural clubs and associations, and out of these the organization of the state agricultural association.

(c) He shall collect and publish statistics and such other information regarding such industries of this state and of other states as may be of benefit in developing the agricultural resources of the state. To this end he shall put himself in connection and shall cooperate with the agricultural department of other states and with the Commissioner of Agriculture of the United States, and shall provide for the proper and careful distribution of all documents and information coming into his possession on account of the department that may be of interest and benefit to the people of the state.

(d) He shall cause to be investigated the diseases of grain, cotton, fruit and other crops grown in this state and also remedies for such diseases, and also the habits and propagation of the various insects that are injurious to the crops of the state and the proper mode of their destruction.

(e) He shall investigate the subject of grasses and report upon their value and the cultivation of the varieties best adapted to the different sections of the state.

(f) He shall inquire into the subjects connected with dairying that he may deem of interest to the people of the state, and in this connection the raising of stock and poultry, the obtaining of such as are of most value, and the breeding and propagation of the same; and shall encourage raising of fish and the culture of bees.

(g) He shall investigate the subjects of subsoiling, drainage, etc., and the best modes of effecting each, and of irrigation and what portions of the state can be best benefited thereby.

(h) He shall investigate and report upon the culture of wool and the utility and profit of sheep-raising, also the culture of silk and its manufacture and preparation for market.

(i) He shall investigate and report on the question of broadening the market for cotton and cotton goods in the United States and foreign countries.

(j) He shall cause a proper collection of agricultural statistics to be made annually, and to this end shall furnish blank forms to the tax assessors of each county, and it is made the special duty of the tax assessor to whom said blanks are furnished to report to the bureau a list of all public or private ginners in his county, with their post offices, upon the demand of the commissioner. It shall be the duty of the commissioner to furnish to such ginner a form or forms of report to be made to the bureau at such time as the commissioner may direct. A failure to make such reports on the part of the ginner or assessor as required by said commissioner shall be deemed a misdemeanor, and, upon conviction, punished as provided by law. It shall be the duty of the members of the boards of supervisors and the county tax assessor of each county in this state to make such reports as may be required by this bureau touching the matter within the scope of this chapter; and failure of any supervisor or tax assessor to make such report when required shall be deemed a misdemeanor and shall be punished as provided by law.

(k) He shall appoint county correspondents who shall report to him from time to time, as may be desired.

(l) He shall collect specimens of wood suitable for manufacture and other purposes, and specimens of agricultural, mineral, phosphate and marl deposits of the state; cause correct analysis of such as may be deemed expedient to be made and recorded in a substantial book to be kept for this purpose.

(m) He shall also, as soon as practicable, prepare a convenient handbook with necessary illustrated maps, which shall contain all necessary information as to the mines, mineral, forest, soil, and other products, climate, water, waterpower for the establishing of factories, land, flowers, fisheries, mountains, streams, and all other statistics as are best adapted to the giving of proper information and the attraction of advantages which the state affords to immigrants, and shall make illustrated expositions thereof whenever practicable at international and state expositions.

(n) He shall have the primary responsibility for developing programs that will enhance the marketing of the state's agricultural products to both national and international markets.

(o) He may cause to be inspected or autopsied, or both, any diseased or dead poultry that is being grown under contract for eventual human consumption; and he may cause to be analyzed the nutritional and other content of poultry food being fed to any poultry raised under contract for eventual human consumption. He has the authority to perform the duties under this paragraph (o) without having to obtain the authorization of either the owner of such poultry or poultry food or the contract grower responsible for growing the poultry regardless of any terms of the contract between the owner and contract grower that are written to prevent such examination and analysis.

SECTION 2. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after its passage.