1(1) 2COMPOSITION.3-4The State Agricultural Advisory Council is hereby created in the department.15(a) 16The council shall be composed of 33 members with an alternate for each member. Members and their alternates shall be appointed by the commissioner. The dean for extension and the dean for research, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences of the University of Florida, and the Vice President for Agricultural Affairs at the University of Florida shall be nonvoting, ex officio members of the council.
81(b) 82Membership shall include one citizen-at-large member and alternate who shall be representative of the views of the general public toward agriculture and its activities, but who is not actively engaged in any agricultural pursuit, and one member and alternate qualified to represent each of the 32 agricultural or trade interests enumerated in this section.1361. 137Producers or growers who are actively engaged in the agricultural areas of:149a. 150Apiary;
151b. 152Aquaculture;
153c. 154Beef cattle;
156d. 157Citrus;
158e. 159Commercial flowers;
161f. 162Dairy;
163g. 164Field crops;
166h. 167Foliage plants;
169i. 170Forestry;
171j. 172Grapes;
173k. 174Horses;
175l. 176Ornamental horticulture;
178m. 179Poultry;
180n. 181Seed;
182o. 183Swine;
184p. 185Tobacco;
186q. 187Tropical fruits;
189r. 190Turfgrass;
191s. 192Vegetables; or
194t. 195Watermelons.
1962. 197Persons actively engaged in the trade of:204a. 205Agricultural limestone;
207b. 208Commercial feed;
210c. 211Commercial fertilizer;
213d. 214Commercial pesticide;
216e. 217Food processing and canning, other than meat or citrus;
226f. 227Independent agricultural markets;
230g. 231Meat processing or packing;
235h. 236Phosphate; or
238i. 239Retail food stores.
2423. 243Distributors of petroleum or petroleum products.
2494. 250Growers and processors of sugarcane.
2555. 256Licensed veterinarians.
258(c) 259With the exception of the citizen-at-large member and alternate, each member and alternate shall be selected from no fewer than two nor more than three nominees submitted by recognized statewide organizations representing each agricultural or trade interest enumerated in this section. In the absence of nominations, the commissioner shall appoint persons who otherwise meet the qualifications for nomination and appointment to the council.
322(d) 323Alternates shall be appointed for each member and shall serve as alternates for the remainder of the corresponding members’ terms. As terms of current members expire, members and their alternates shall be appointed for 4-year terms and shall serve until their successors are duly qualified and appointed. A vacancy shall be filled for the remainder of an unexpired term in the same manner as an initial appointment.
390(e) 391An alternate member shall have all the rights, privileges, and powers of the member for whom he or she is the alternate when that member is absent from this council or any other council to which the member is appointed by designation of his or her position on this council.
441(f) 442Any member of the council who fails to attend three consecutive council meetings without good cause may be removed from the council by the commissioner.
