Agricultural products are produced by many individual farmers and ranchers located throughout the state. The efficient production and marketing of agricultural products by farmers, ranchers, and handlers is of vital concern to the welfare and general economy of the state. It is the purpose of this chapter to establish standards of fair practices required of handlers, producers, and associations of producers, with respect to certain agricultural commodities, to establish the mutual obligation of handlers and accredited associations of producers to negotiate relative to the production or marketing of these agricultural commodities.

Terms Used In Washington Code 15.83.005

  • Accredited association of producers: means an association of producers which is accredited by the director to be the exclusive negotiation agent for all producer members of the association within a negotiating unit. See Washington Code 15.83.010
  • Agricultural products: as used in this chapter means pears, sweet corn, and potatoes produced for sale from farms in this state. See Washington Code 15.83.010
  • Contract: A legal written agreement that becomes binding when signed.
  • Director: means the director of the department of agriculture. See Washington Code 15.83.010
  • Negotiate: means meeting at reasonable times and for reasonable periods of time commencing at least sixty days before the normal planting date for sweet corn and potatoes, or at least sixty days before the normal harvest date for pears, and concluding within thirty days of the normal planting date for sweet corn and potatoes, or within thirty days of the normal harvest date for pears, to make a serious, fair, and reasonable attempt to reach agreement by acknowledging or refuting with reason points brought up by either party with respect to the price, terms of sale, compensation for products produced under contract, or other terms relating to the production or sale of these products: PROVIDED, That neither party shall be required to disclose proprietary business or financial records or information. See Washington Code 15.83.010
  • Obligation: An order placed, contract awarded, service received, or similar transaction during a given period that will require payments during the same or a future period.
It is the intent of the legislature that a workable process be developed through which a fair price and other contract terms can be arrived at through negotiations between processors of agricultural products and an accredited association of producers, and that in developing rules and administering this chapter the director of agriculture shall recognize this intent.
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