Reviewed
July, 1992

Administration:   This statute (except paragraph 2 of the law) is administered by the Agricultural Promotion section of the Nebraska Department of Agriculture, Administration Division, State Office Building, 301 Centennial Mall South, Lincoln, Nebraska 68509. Telephone: (402) 471-4876.

Revisions:   This statute was initiated during the 1987 session of the Nebraska Legislature. The original statute number of 2-2516 was transferred to section 2-3815 in the Reissue 1991 of the Revised Statutes of Nebraska.

Rules:   No regulations have been promulgated under this statute.

2-3815. Agriculture promotion and development program; established; purposes; employment of specialists; advisory committee.   The Department of Agriculture shall establish an agriculture promotion and development program. The department shall employ a program director and one specialist in research techniques and market development. Both individuals shall report directly to the Director of Agriculture.

The University of Nebraska Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources shall employ a poultry pathologist.

The program shall concentrate on the identification and development of opportunities to enhance profitability in agriculture and to stimulate agriculture-related economic development. Program activities may include, but not be limited to, (1) promotion and market development, (2) value-added processing of alternative and traditional commodities, (3) agricultural diversification, including poultry development and aquaculture, (4) agricultural cooperatives, and (5) alternative crops.

In order to carry out the purposes of this section, the program director may, if he or she deems necessary, convene an advisory committee to assist the program director in developing and implementing program activities. Representatives from the Nebraska Food Processing Center, the Cooperative Extension Service of the University of Nebraska, the commodity boards, the Department of Economic Development, the United States Department of Agriculture grant programs, and the private sector may serve on such committee at the request of the program director. If an advisory committee is convened, committee members shall not receive any reimbursement for expenses.

The Department of Agriculture shall serve as the facilitator, coordinator, and catalyst for developments through and with the Nebraska Food Processing Center, the Cooperative Extension Service of the University of Nebraska, the commodity boards, the Department of Economic Development, other state agencies, the United States Department of Agriculture grant programs, and the private sector. It is the intent of the Legislature that the department foster close working relationships between production agriculture and existing programs for the purposes of agricultural development and promotion. The department may enter into such contracts as may be necessary to carry out the purposes of this section.

For purposes of this section, unless the context otherwise requires, private sector shall include, but not be limited to, representatives of food industry associations, lenders, or venture capital groups.