(1) The commissioner of agriculture shall administer and enforce the provisions of this article and shall have all of the administrative powers conferred upon the head of a department of the state. In order to effectuate the declared purposes of this article, the commissioner of agriculture is authorized to issue, administer, and enforce the provisions of marketing orders.
Whenever the commissioner has reason to believe that the issuance of a marketingorder will tend to effectuate the declared policy of this article with respect to any agricultural commodity, either upon his own motion or upon application of any producer or handler of such commodity, he shall give due notice of and an opportunity for a public hearing upon a proposed marketing order.
Due notice of any hearing called for such purpose shall be given to all persons, whomay be directly affected by any action of the commissioner pursuant to the provisions of this article, and whose names appear upon lists to be filed by such agricultural industry with the commissioner. Such hearing shall be open to the public. All testimony shall be received under oath and a full and complete record of all proceedings at any such hearing shall be made and filed by the commissioner at his office.
In order to effectuate the declared policy of this article, the commissioner has thepower, after due notice and opportunity for hearing, to enter into marketing agreements with processors, distributors, handlers, producers, and others engaged in the handling of any agricultural commodity, regulating the preparation, sale, and handling of such agricultural commodity, which said marketing agreement shall be binding upon the signatories thereto exclusively. The execution of such marketing agreement shall in no matter affect the issuance, administration, or enforcement of any marketing order provided for in this article. The commissioner may issue such marketing order without executing a marketing agreement or may execute a marketing agreement without issuing a marketing order covering the same commodity. The commissioner, in his discretion, may hold a concurrent hearing upon a proposed marketing agreement and a proposed marketing order in the manner provided for giving due notice and opportunity for hearing for a marketing order as provided in this article.
Source: L. 39: p. 196, § 5. CSA: C. 106, § 50. L. 53: p. 116, § 2. CRS 53: § 7-3-5. L. 55: p. 148, § 5. C.R.S. 1963: § 7-3-5. L. 69: p. 113, § 4.