(A) Before any license shall be issued the applicant shall make and deliver to the commissioner a surety bond or equivalent security in an amount of either twenty-five thousand, fifty thousand, or one hundred thousand dollars as determined by the method set forth below, executed by a surety corporation authorized to transact business in the State or provided by equivalent security approved by the commissioner with the advice of the State Treasurer. The amount of the bond required is determined based upon ten percent of the applicant’s annual business. If ten percent of annual business is twenty-five thousand dollars or less, the applicant must obtain a twenty-five thousand dollar bond. If ten percent of annual business is fifty thousand dollars or less, a fifty thousand dollar bond is required. If ten percent of annual business is more than fifty thousand dollars, a one hundred thousand dollar bond is required. The bond or equivalent security shall be upon a form prescribed or approved by the commissioner and shall be conditioned to secure the faithful accounting for any payment to producers, their agents or representatives, of the proceeds of all agricultural products handled or sold by such dealer.

(B) The amount of the bond or equivalent security shall, upon the order of the commissioner at any time, be increased, if in his discretion the commissioner finds that an increase is warranted by the volume of agricultural product being handled by the principal or maker of the bond or equivalent security. In the same manner, the amount of the bond or equivalent security may be decreased when a decrease in volume of products handled warrants such decrease in bond or equivalent security. The provisions contained in this section shall apply to any bond or equivalent security, regardless of the anniversary date of its issuance, expiration, or renewal.

(C) In order to effectuate the purposes of this section, the commissioner or his agents may require from any licensee verified statements of the volume of his business, and failure to furnish such statement or make and deliver a new or additional bond or equivalent security shall be cause for suspension of license. If, at a hearing after reasonable notice, the commissioner finds such failure to be wilful, the license may be revoked.