1. Any laws to the contrary notwithstanding, there is hereby created in the state treasury the “Agriculture Protection Fund”, which shall consist of any moneys or fees appropriated to the fund as well as all fees assessed and collected by the department of agriculture which are not otherwise placed in the state treasury to the credit of the particular purpose or fund for which the fees are collected. The state treasurer shall be custodian of the fund. In accordance with sections 30.170 and 30.180, the state treasurer may approve disbursements of the fund. Upon appropriation by the general assembly, money in the fund shall be used solely by the department of agriculture for the purposes of carrying out its functions and responsibilities, and no money shall be paid out of the fund created under this section except by appropriation of the general assembly for the administration of the program from which the fee was collected; except that, the provisions of this section shall not apply to any moneys credited to the fund under subdivision (2) of subsection 1 of section 311.550.

2. Notwithstanding the provisions of section 33.080 to the contrary, any moneys remaining in the fund at the end of the biennium shall not revert to the credit of the general revenue fund.

3. The state treasurer shall invest moneys in the fund in the same manner as other funds are invested. Any interest and moneys earned on such investments shall be credited to the fund.