1. Production, distribution and sales. The seed board, with the approval of the Maine Potato Board as established in Title 36, section 4603, may produce, or cause to be produced through contract or otherwise, seed potatoes for distribution and sale. The seed board, in consultation with the Maine Potato Board, shall determine the varieties and acreages of each variety to produce. The seed board shall oversee seed production facilities and make recommendations to the Maine Potato Board regarding the production, distribution and sales of seed potatoes. The production program developed by the seed board with approval and oversight by the Maine Potato Board must include, but is not limited to, long-range projections of industry trends and needs, contracting with growers to reproduce nuclear seed stock grown at the seed board’s seed potato farm, a determination of the varieties and volume of seed to be grown at seed production facilities and allocation of seed to growers for the benefit of the entire state potato industry. [PL 2009, c. 379, §4 (NEW).] 2. Use of funds. The seed board may not commit funds that exceed the amount of funds approved by the Maine Potato Board as established in Title 36, section 4603. The Maine Potato Board may pay from the seed potato account to the Town of Masardis in lieu of taxes a sum, in the discretion of the Maine Potato Board, that compensates the town in whole or in part for loss of real estate taxes due to tax exempt status of real estate used for seed potato purposes. [PL 2009, c. 379, §4 (NEW).] 3. Authority to acquire, hold and convey property. The seed board, with the approval of the Maine Potato Board as established in Title 36, section 4603, may purchase, own or otherwise acquire farm real estate and farm equipment necessary to produce acreages of seed potatoes or for the testing of seed potatoes. The seed board, with the approval of the Maine Potato Board, may sell or otherwise convey farm real estate and farm equipment no longer required for the purposes of this chapter. Proceeds from the sale must be credited to an operating account for the seed board established in accordance with Title 36, section 4604, subsection 4. [PL 2009, c. 379, §4 (NEW).] 4. Cooperation with the University of Maine System. The seed board is advisory to and may work with and through the Maine Agricultural Experiment Station of the University of Maine System and other public and private agencies to annually conduct a program for the production of seed potatoes. If a program for the standardized testing of new varieties of commercial seed does not exist under the auspices of the Maine Agricultural Experiment Station, the seed board shall provide the Maine Potato Board as established in Title 36, section 4603 with a recommendation for developing such a program. [PL 2009, c. 379, §4 (NEW).]
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