The Department of Agriculture and Commerce shall promote the development of agriculture and aquaculture for both native and nonnative species. The department shall be organized into the Administration Office, the Regulatory Office, and the Marketing, Agricultural Development and Finance Office. Each office shall have the duties hereinafter specified in addition to any other duties assigned to it by the commissioner.
The Administration Office shall consist of such employees as may be assigned to it by the commissioner and shall have exclusive responsibility for the following functions of the department:
Accounting;
Payroll;
Purchasing;
Data processing;
Personnel;
Motor pool and vehicles;
Maintenance; and
Printing and records.
The Regulatory Office shall administer those laws relating to the regulation of the labels of syrup containers; the regulation of the sale of planting seed; the regulation of the sale of livestock by weight; the protection of the health of swine; the inspection of grain crops; the testing of the accuracy of petroleum pumps; the inspection of milk manufacturing plants and producers; the establishment of standards for frozen desserts sold in Mississippi; the licensing of exotic bird dealers; the regulation of the disposition of animal and poultry inedible waste; the regulation of the labeling of catfish; the adoption of systems of weights and measures for all commercial purposes in Mississippi; the inspection of meat and poultry and the licensing of facilities used for the processing thereof; and the regulation of the measurement and receiving of pulpwood.
The Marketing, Agricultural Development and Finance Office shall develop direct contact with potential buyers worldwide for the Mississippi agricultural community to expand domestic and international markets; develop and regulate aquaculture production as provided in the Mississippi Aquaculture Act of 1988; and operate and administer the Mississippi Market Bulletin, the Market News Service, the Mississippi Agriculture and Forestry Museum and the Centennial Farm Family Program. This office shall also be responsible for the collection, analysis and dissemination of statistical data concerning the production, supply, price and other aspects of the state's agricultural economy.