2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE FIVE - Agriculture (§§ 1 — 4706) › Chapter 31 - Cattle and Livestock Production (§§ 841 — 854e) › § 854c - Incentives—Regulations

The Secretary of Agriculture is hereby vested with the powers and faculties necessary to establish the standards that he may consider necessary for the granting of the benefits or services provided for in §§ 854—854e of this title under the following general standards:
(a) The Secretary of Agriculture shall annually establish the maximum contributions to each beneficiary under this program. Such contribution shall in no case exceed two-thirds of the cost of the practice or service.
(b) The benefits or services to be granted may vary by regions, zones or group of farmers, but they should be uniform in their application to each region, zone or group of farmers.
(c) With reference to the transportation subsidy for introducing beef cattle into Puerto Rico, charges for such reason shall correspond to those that normally and currently prevail in connection with air, land or sea transportation.
(d) The incentives for the raising of calves shall be those as might induce the establishment of enterprises in which shall be adopted such known agricultural practices that may lead to the greatest possible efficiency.
(e) The incentives and other measures referred to in clauses (1) and (2) of subsection (b) of § 854 of this title shall be granted in accordance with the following standards:
(1) Such incentives shall be granted in behalf of enterprises operated by farmers’ organizations.
(2) The contribution of governmental capital, if so granted, shall not exceed two-thirds of the cost of the facilities to be established.
(3) The contribution of the capital or loan should be recovered.
(4) The terms and conditions for the granting of the said incentives shall be negotiated bearing in mind the following objectives.
(A) To promote an integrated development in the poultry and cattle sectors.
(B) To encourage and maintain a sound competition in the quality and price of the articles whose production is encouraged by this means.
(f) With reference to the raising of replacement heifers for the production of milk, the Secretary of Agriculture may use the resources to establish a project through the Agricultural Services Administration or other persons or entities to show the economic feasibility of the operation, or may promote the latter through farmer’s organizations in which case shall govern the standard established in connection with clauses (1) and (2) of subsection (b) of § 854 of this title.
(g) As to the protection of domestic producers of cattle and poultry products referred to in subsection (d) of § 854 of this title, whenever to such effect it be necessary that the Secretary of Agriculture shall acquire such products, due precaution shall be exercised in the disposal of same, in order that their marketing will not endanger the objective pursued.
(h) In relation to the service of the sale of molasses to the live stock farmers, the Secretary of Agriculture may use the resources appropriated for the establishment of the service through the Agricultural Services Administration, which shall sell the molasses at the same price as acquired, but may add thereto, in whole or in part, the incidental expenses incurred, provided it results in a reasonable price to the livestock farmer. The Secretary of Agriculture may also use said resources to promote the rendering of said service by farmer’s organizations.
History —Dec. 9, 1966, J.R. No. 6, p. 79, § 4.