DIVISION OF REGULATORY SERVICES 



A significant part of the mission of the Department of Food and Agriculture 

 is the regulation of the agricultural industry and certain related industries 

 which supply goods and services to agriculture. 



This regulation has two purposes: protection of agriculture (i.e. quaran- 

 tines and regulation of the quality of seed, feed and fertilizer) and protection 

 of the consumer (i.e. regulation of the quality of certain farm products and 

 pesticides). 



The reports of the five bureaus which make up this Division follow. 



BUREAU OF MILK MARKETING 

 John B. Kelley 



The Bureau of Milk Marketing continues as in the past to audit handlers in 

 state regulated areas on an on-going basis to insure proper producer payment, 

 calculates and announces monthly official, mid-month official, mid-month 

 equivalent and official Class I prices. 



The Bonding and Security responsibility of the Department of Food & 

 Agriculture under Chapter 94A remains with the Bureau. Using several monitoring 

 procedures, security requirements of preparatory handlers buying milk from inde- 

 pendent producers all are received on a monthly basis. Individual handler 

 audits are conducted when necessary with security now held by the Department in 

 excess of one million, one hundred dollars. 



A recent addition for the protection of independent producers shipping to 

 proprietory handlers has been the enactment of the Producers Security fund. The 

 purpose of the fund is the reimbursement of Massachusetts producers who sell 

 milk to a dealer and said dealer has defaulted in the timely payment of said 

 milk under the provisions of Chapter 94A. The agency prepares and mails 

 security fund payment vouchers to the dealers. The dealer then deducts .05 per 

 cwt from each producer's final monthly check. The applicant's check is then 

 forwarded to the Massachusetts Department of Food & Agriculture and deposited 

 with the State Treasurer. The total monies are then invested with the 

 Massachusetts Municipal Depository Trust. 



The licensing of 4,600 milk dealers at both wholesale and retail level con- 

 tinues. Presently there are approximately 4,000 stores, 350 regular dealers and 

 200 milk testers and 50 bulk tank drivers licensed. The licensed bulk tank dri- 

 vers are checked for compliance and proper techniques used in taking fresh milk. 

 Check testing of milk samples is done to ensure proper payment to producer when 

 amount of payment is in dispute. 



Finally the Bureau continues to fulfill its assigned functions in requiring 

 compliance with state laws aimed at preventing disruptions in various milk 

 markets throughout the Commonwealth. 



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