In the interest of public health, safety, and welfare, the Commissioner of the Department of Agriculture and Industries may collect information, from time to time, regarding the existence, operation, or business of livestock, milk and dairy products, eggs, cotton, poultry, commercial feed, grain, seed, fertilizer, plants and trees, pesticides, or any other subject regulated by the department pursuant this title. In order to collect the information without revealing the personal information about individual farming operations, the commissioner may make the information collected pursuant to this section confidential except as otherwise provided by law.