Iowa Code 159.5 – Powers and duties
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The secretary of agriculture is the head of the department of agriculture and land stewardship which shall:
1. Carry out the objects for which the department is created and maintained.
Terms Used In Iowa Code 159.5
- Department: means the department of environmental quality in a reference to a time before July 1, 1983, the department of water, air and waste management in a reference to a time on or after July 1, 1983, and through June 30, 1986, and the department of natural resources on or after July 1, 1986, and includes any officer or agency within that department. See Iowa Code 172D.1
- following: when used by way of reference to a chapter or other part of a statute mean the next preceding or next following chapter or other part. See Iowa Code 4.1
- Grain: means the same as defined in section 203. See Iowa Code 203D.1
- Livestock: means cattle, sheep, swine, ostriches, rheas, emus, poultry, and other animals or fowl, which are being produced primarily for use as food or food products for human consumption. See Iowa Code 172D.1
- state: when applied to the different parts of the United States, includes the District of Columbia and the territories, and the words "United States" may include the said district and territories. See Iowa Code 4.1
- United States: includes all the states. See Iowa Code 4.1
- year: means twelve consecutive months. See Iowa Code 4.1
2. Establish and maintain such divisions in the department as are necessary for the proper enforcement of the laws administered by it.
3. Consolidate the inspection service of the state in respect to the laws administered by the department so as to eliminate duplication of inspection insofar as practicable.
4. Maintain a climatology bureau which shall, in cooperation with the national weather service, collect and disseminate weather and phenological statistics and meteorological data, and promote knowledge of meteorology, phenology, and climatology of the state. The bureau shall be headed by the state climatologist who shall be appointed by the secretary of agriculture, and shall be an officer of the national weather service, if one is detailed for that purpose by the federal government.
5. Issue weekly weather and crop bulletins from April 1 to October 1 of each year, and edit and cause to be published monthly weather reports, containing meteorological matter in its relationship to agriculture, transportation, commerce, and the general public.
6. Cooperate with the United States department of agriculture statistical reporting service, to gather, compile, and publish statistical information concerning the condition and progress of crops, the production of crops, livestock, livestock products, poultry, and other such related agricultural statistics, as will generally promote knowledge of the agricultural industry in the state of Iowa. The statistics, when published, constitute official agricultural statistics for the state of Iowa.
7. Cooperate with the agricultural marketing service of the United States department of agriculture to collect and disseminate data and information relative to the market prices and conditions of agricultural products raised, produced, and handled in the state.
8. Inspect and supervise all meat, poultry, or dairy producing or distributing establishments including the furniture, fixtures, utensils, machinery, and other equipment so as to prevent the production, preparation, packing, storage, or transportation of meat, poultry, or dairy products in a manner detrimental to the character or quality of those products.
9. Approve all methods of probing for foreign material content of any type of grain.
10. Establish, publish, and enforce rules not inconsistent with law for the enforcement of the provisions of subtitles 1 through 3 of this title, excluding chapters 161A and 161C, and for the enforcement of the various laws, the administration and supervision of which are imposed upon the department.
11. a. Establish a swine tuberculosis eradication program including but not limited to all of the following:
(1) The inspection of swine herds in this state when the department finds that an animal from a swine herd has, or is believed to have, tuberculosis.
(2) Ear tagging or otherwise physically marking all swine reacting positively to tests for tuberculosis.
(3) Condemning any swine which has tuberculosis.
(4) Depopulating any swine herd where tuberculosis is found to be generally present.
(5) Compensate the owners of condemned swine as provided under section 165.18, following the general procedures for filing claims and paying indemnities as provided in chapter 165.
b. If the department finds that the source of the tuberculosis in a swine herd is from another species of animal, except bovine, located on or near the premises on which the affected swine herd is located, the department may destroy those animals and indemnify the owners of the condemned animals as provided in chapter 163.
12. Create and maintain a division of soil conservation and water quality as provided in chapter 161A. The division’s director shall be appointed by the secretary from a list of names of persons recommended by the soil conservation and water quality committee, pursuant to section 161A.4, and shall serve at the pleasure of the secretary. The director shall be the administrator responsible for carrying out the provisions of chapters 207 and 208.
13. Establish and administer programs for the inspection and control of disease among livestock as defined in section 717.1.
14. In the administration of programs relating to water quality improvement and watershed improvements, cooperate with the department of natural resources in order to maximize the receipt of federal funds.