For the accomplishment of the purposes specified in this act, the department shall have all powers and duties necessary, including, but not limited to, the power and duty to:

(1) Identify and coordinate with all state agencies that can assist in agricultural economic development.
(2) Administer, with approval of the commissioner, agricultural economic development funds appropriated to the department.
(3) Identify, develop, and collect sources of funding for the initiation of agricultural economic development projects.
(4) Facilitate economic growth through the development of agribusinesses such as value-added processing plants and associated enterprises using raw products which are produced in the state.
(5) Accept, expend, and utilize any gift, grant of money, or property provided to the department.
(6) Provide assistance pursuant to appropriations for agricultural economic development approved by the Legislature.
(7) Establish procedures and circumstances for repayment of financial assistance by an assisted agribusiness.
(8) On or before November 1 of each year, submit an annual report to the chairs of the House of Representatives and Senate committees on agriculture. The annual report shall include, but not be limited to:

(a) A list of all projects that received assistance during the previous fiscal year, the needs each project was designed to address, the type of assistance provided, and the benefits derived from the assistance.

Terms Used In Florida Statutes 570.76

  • Agriculture: means the science and art of production of plants and animals useful to humans, including to a variable extent the preparation of these products for human use and their disposal by marketing or otherwise, and includes aquaculture, horticulture, floriculture, viticulture, forestry, dairy, livestock, poultry, bees, and any and all forms of farm products and farm production. See Florida Statutes 570.02
  • Commissioner: means the Commissioner of Agriculture. See Florida Statutes 570.02
  • Department: means the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. See Florida Statutes 570.02
  • Fiscal year: The fiscal year is the accounting period for the government. For the federal government, this begins on October 1 and ends on September 30. The fiscal year is designated by the calendar year in which it ends; for example, fiscal year 2006 begins on October 1, 2005 and ends on September 30, 2006.
  • Gift: A voluntary transfer or conveyance of property without consideration, or for less than full and adequate consideration based on fair market value.
(b) The business plans of projects receiving assistance, including the proposed schedule for repayment of funds by assisted agribusinesses.