Washington Administrative Code › Title 16 - Agriculture, Department of (See also Titles 24, 60, and 142) › MARKETING ORDERS › Chapter 16-536 - Washington pulse crops commission › Section 16-536-006 - Marketing order purposes

Current through Register Vol. 24-14, July 15, 2024
This marketing order is to promote the general welfare of
				  the state and for the purpose of maintaining existing markets or creating new
				  or larger local, domestic, and foreign markets; or increasing production
				  efficiency, ensuring a fair regulatory environment; or increasing per capita
				  consumption of pulse crops in Washington state. The Washington state pulse
				  crops commodity board is designated by the director to conduct the following
				  programs in accordance with
				  chapter
				  15.65 RCW:
(1) To carry out the purposes of the order,
				the board shall provide for a program in one or more of the following areas:
(a) Establish plans and conduct programs for
				marketing, sales, promotion and/or other programs for maintaining present
				markets and/or creating new or larger markets for pulse crops. Such programs
				shall be directed toward increasing the sale of pulse crops without reference
				to any particular brand or trade name and shall neither make use of false or
				unwarranted claims on behalf of pulse crops nor disparage the quality, value,
				sale or use of any other agricultural commodity.
(b) Provide for research in the production,
				processing, irrigation, transportation, handling, and/or distribution of pulse
				crops and expend the necessary funds for such purposes. Insofar as practicable,
				such research shall be carried out by experiment stations of Washington State
				University, but if in the judgment of the board said experiment stations do not
				have adequate facilities for a particular project or if some other research
				agency has better facilities therefor, the project may be carried out by other
				research agencies selected by the board.
(c) Provide by rules for:
(i) Establishing uniform grades and standards
				of quality, condition, maturity, size, weight, pack, packages and/or label for
				pulse crops or any products thereof.
(ii) Requiring producers, handlers and/or
				other persons to conform to such grades and/or standards in packing, packaging,
				processing, labeling, selling or otherwise commercially disposing of pulse
				crops and/or in offering, advertising and/or delivering it therefor.
(iii) Providing for inspection and
				enforcement to ascertain and effectuate compliance.
(iv) Providing that the board shall carry out
				inspection and enforcement of, and may (within the general provisions of the
				order) establish detailed provisions relating to, such standards and grades and
				such rules and regulations: Provided, That any modification not of a
				substantial nature, such as the modification of standards within a certain
				grade may be made without a hearing, and shall not be considered an amendment
				for the purposes of the act and order.
(d) Conduct programs for the purpose of
				providing information and education including:
(i) Marketing information and services for
				producers of pulse crops for the verification of grades, standards, weights,
				tests, and sampling of quality and quantity of pulse crops purchased by
				handlers from affected producers.
(ii) Information and services enabling
				producers to meet their resource conservation objectives.
(iii) Pulse crops-related education and
				training.
(e) Subject to
				the provisions of the act, provide information and communicate on matters
				pertaining to the production, irrigation, processing, transportation,
				marketing, or uses of pulse crops produced in Washington state to any elected
				official or officer or employee of any agency.