Service Area Strategic Plan
5/22/2013   2:32 am
Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services (301)
Biennium:
Service Area 1 of 1
Agricultural Commodity Boards (301 532 08)
Description

This service area provides administrative oversight to 16 commodity boards, all of which are supervisory boards that serve the producers of apples, peanuts, Irish potatoes, soybeans, corn, small grains, marine products, wine, pork, eggs, cattle, dark fired tobacco, bright flue-cured tobacco, sheep, horses and cotton. The mission of the boards is to provide short and long term growth for their respective industries through strategic investment in research, marketing and education programs. The supervisory boards were established when each industry requested legislation that enabled a producer referendum on the question of whether to establish the board and collect an assessment to fund the board. Fifteen boards are totally self-supporting through these assessments.

The self-assessment concept of the boards provides funding for market development and/or promotion projects, research and education for the individual commodities. Each board has separate legislation with various limitations on assessment fund expenditures.

The sixteenth board, the Virginia Wine Board, operates on General Fund Appropriations linked to the liter tax on wine. Funds expended by the Wine Board are used for wine marketing, education, as well as enology and viticulture research.
Background Information
Mission Alignment and Authority
  • Describe how this service supports the agency mission
    This service area directly aligns with VDACS’ mission to promote the economic growth and development of Virginia agriculture by enhancing the profitability of Virginia food, agricultural and forest products enterprises.
  • Describe the Statutory Authority of this Service
    This activity is governed by mandates in the Code of Virginia, in the following sections:

    §§ 3.2-4700 through 3.2-4708 mandates the marketing services of the Division of Marketing, which include the marketing programs conducted through the commodity boards.

    § 3.2-1100 mandates limitations on the diversion of dedicated funds for the Boards.

    Each of the sixteen commodity boards is mandated by a separate law, but each has the same purposes, which are market development and/or promotion, research and education. Additionally, the Virginia Sheep Board mandate includes predator control. The specific sections of the Code of Virginia are:

    §§ 3.2-1700 through 3.2-1722, the Virginia Horse Industry Board Act;
    §§ 3.2-2500 through 3.2-2510, the Virginia Dark Fired Tobacco Board;
    §§ 3.2-2400 through 3.2-2411, the Virginia Bright Flue-Cured Tobacco Board;
    §§ 3.2-1200 through 3.2-1217, the Virginia Apple Board;
    §§ 3.2-1900 through 3.2-1910, the Virginia Peanut Board;
    §§ 3.2-2300 through 3.2-2314, the Virginia Soybean Board;
    §§ 3.2-1800 through 3.2-1815, the Irish Potato Board;
    §§ 3.2-2200 through 3.2-2214, the Virginia Small Grains Board;
    §§ 3.2-2700 through 3.2-2704D, the Virginia Marine Products Board;
    §§ 3.2-2000 through 3.2-2009, the Virginia Pork Industry Board;
    §§ 3.2-1601 through 3.2-1610, the Virginia Egg Board;
    §§ 3.2-1300 through 3.2-1103, the Virginia Cattle Industry Board;
    §§ 3.2-1400 through 3.2-1414, the Virginia Corn Board;
    §§ 3.2-3000 through 3.2-3006, the Virginia Wine Board;
    §§ 3.2-2100 through 3.2-2114, the Virginia Sheep Industry Board;
    §§ 3.2-1500 through 3.2-1514, the Virginia Cotton Board.
Customers
Agency Customer Group Customer Customers served annually Potential annual customers
State & Local Governments Commodity Boards 16 16
Virginia farmers Virginia farmers 47,383 47,383

Anticipated Changes To Agency Customer Base
No changes anticipated in the total number of 16 commodity boards in the near term:

National commodity board legislation has recently withstood a challenge in the Supreme Court, therefore it is expected that commodity boards will continue and strengthen. In Virginia, as production of some commodities (e.g. tobacco and peanuts) decreases, income derived from self-assessment programs will decline. Boards will be faced in the near term with decisions to either increase assessments, reduce funding to/or eliminating programs or cease to operate.

The establishment of any new commodity boards appears unlikely to occur in the near future, however legislation to create new or increased assessments is highly likely.

Expanding the integration of the research, marketing and education functions of these boards with other commodities and national and international marketing efforts will be critical to the overall efficacy of individual board initiatives.
Partners
Partner Description
[None entered]
Products and Services
  • Factors Impacting the Products and/or Services:
    None.
  • Anticipated Changes to the Products and/or Services
    With reduced funding caused by decreased commodity production in some sectors, commodity boards will have to re-prioritize program initiatives in order to continue effectiveness. Boards will have to reconsider state contributions to national commodity program efforts versus continuing in-state programs.
  • Listing of Products and/or Services
    • Marketing/market development activities: product placement, sales calls/leads, special event planning and execution, sales seminar planning and execution, national and international trade show participation, special promotions planning and execution, media, public and customer relations, promotional brochure/directory development and distribution, and industry and producer relations efforts and events.
    • Research: commodity production improvement techniques, disease eradication, value-added product development, commodity transportation and handling, market research (manufacturing industry and consumer use/trends/preferences).
    • Education: producer, first handlers, wholesalers, distributors and consumers.
Finance
  • Financial Overview
    [Nothing entered]
  • Financial Breakdown
    FY 2011    FY 2012
      General Fund     Nongeneral Fund        General Fund     Nongeneral Fund  
    Base Budget $765,949 $3,598,078    $765,949 $3,598,078
    Change To Base -$445 $0    -$445 $0
               
    Service Area Total   $765,504  $3,598,078     $765,504  $3,598,078 
Human Resources
  • Human Resources Overview
    [Nothing entered]
  • Human Resource Levels
    Effective Date      
    Total Authorized Position level null    
    Vacant Positions null    
    Current Employment Level 0.0    
    Non-Classified (Filled)    
    Full-Time Classified (Filled)    breakout of Current Employment Level
    Part-Time Classified (Filled)    
    Faculty (Filled)    
    Wage    
    Contract Employees    
    Total Human Resource Level 0.0   = Current Employment Level + Wage and Contract Employees
  • Factors Impacting HR
    [Nothing entered]
  • Anticipated HR Changes
    [Nothing entered]
Service Area Objectives
 
  • Improve the operations of individual commodity boards and expand integrated, multi-commodity marketing promotions.
    Objective Description
    Assist commodity industry producers in seeking methods to better manage operations and risks, and ensure compliance with state regulations. Coordinate, integrate and target state and national commodity board programs in order to strengthen commodity marketing, research and education successes.
    Alignment to Agency Goals
    • Agency Goal: Enhance opportunities for the growth, profitability and continued viability of the Virginia agriculture industry.
      Comment: This aligns with the long term objective to be a national leader in the preservation and enhancement of our economy.
    Objective Strategies
    • Maintain and enhance working relationships with Virginia commodity boards to include multi-commodity promotions through June 30, 2012.
    • Provide marketing and administrative support to 16 agricultural commodity boards to assist in accomplishing their programs, promotion, education and research through June 30, 2012.
    Link to State Strategy
    • nothing linked
    Objective Measures
    • Number of integrated commodity promotion and programming opportunities and events each fiscal year.
      Measure Class:
      Other
      Measure Type:
      Output
      Measure Frequency:
      Annual
      Preferred Trend:
      Maintain
      Measure Baseline Value:
      2
      Date:
      6/30/2009

      Measure Baseline Description: One ongoing, multi-commodity activity in FY09.

      Measure Target Value:
      2
      Date:
      6/30/2012

      Measure Target Description: Two multi-commodity activities each year of the biennium.

      Data Source and Calculation: Commodity board projects recorded in board minutes


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