(a) For purposes of this section:
(1) “Federal pay price” means the northeast monthly uniform price for milk at Hartford zone pursuant to the United States Department of Agriculture Northeast Federal Milk Marketing Order;
(2) “Milk producer” means a person, firm or corporation registered pursuant to section 22-172; and
(3) “Minimum sustainable monthly cost of production” means eighty-two per cent of the baseline determined by the United States Department of Agriculture's Economic Research Service monthly average cost of production for a New England state or, if such baseline is unavailable, a baseline determined by the Commissioner of Agriculture that is based on the data and variables published by the United States Department of Agriculture.
(b) (1) Commencing on the date the first deposit is made into the agricultural sustainability account established pursuant to section 4-66cc and subject to subdivisions (2) and (3) of this subsection, a milk producer shall be entitled to a grant as specified in this subsection. For each month that the federal pay price is below the minimum sustainable monthly cost of production, the milk producer shall be entitled to an amount equal to the dollar amount such federal pay price was below the minimum sustainable monthly cost of production, multiplied by the amount of milk produced by such milk producer during such month. The Commissioner of Agriculture shall make such grants to such milk producers on a quarterly basis, beginning on the date three months after the first deposit is made into the agricultural sustainability account established pursuant to section 4-66cc. Such grant payments shall be made by the commissioner from said account. In the event the amount of available funds in said account at the time such quarterly grants are due is less than the aggregate amount of grants to which producers are entitled pursuant to this section, the commissioner shall distribute all of the funds in the account to such milk producers on a proportionate basis based on their relative levels of milk production.
(2) For purposes of calculating a grant due a milk producer pursuant to subdivision (1) of this subsection, each milk producer or handler, as defined in section 22-127, who receives milk from producers in the state, shall file with the Commissioner of Agriculture, in such form and at such times as said commissioner shall direct, information as to the amount of milk produced by each producer.
(3) Prior to receiving a grant pursuant to subdivision (1) of this subsection, a milk producer shall file with the Commissioner of Agriculture, in such form and at such times as said commissioner shall direct, proof that such milk producer has completed an energy audit, as defined in section 16a-38.
(P.A. 09-229, S. 30; P.A. 11-48, S. 135.)
History: P.A. 09-229 effective July 1, 2009; P.A. 11-48 amended Subsec. (a)(3) by redefining “minimum sustainable monthly cost of production”, made technical changes in Subsec. (b)(1) and deleted former Subsec. (c) re termination of section, effective July 1, 2011.
Structure Connecticut General Statutes
Title 22 - Agriculture. Domestic Animals
Section 22-204. - Legislative findings, purpose and policy.
Section 22-205. - Definitions.
Section 22-206. - Powers and duties of Commissioner of Agriculture.
Section 22-208. - Official seal.
Section 22-209 to 22-211. - Report to Governor. Regulations. Complaints and investigations.
Section 22-211a. - Regulations.
Section 22-212. - Coordination with other authorities.
Section 22-213. - Encouragement of cooperative marketing.
Section 22-224. - Information and records.
Section 22-225. - Confidential information; public data.
Section 22-226. - Statements of purchases from producers.
Section 22-227. - Inspection and audit.
Section 22-228. - Subpoena; punishment for contempt.
Section 22-229. - Dealers required to be licensed.
Section 22-229a. - Sanitation, handling, storage and processing requirements for milk dealers.
Section 22-230. - License applications.
Section 22-231. - Grounds for refusal, suspension or revocation of license.
Section 22-232. - Revocation of license; prior violations.
Section 22-233. - Conditional licenses.
Section 22-234. - Hearings; service of rulings.
Section 22-235. - Method of computation of license fees.
Section 22-235a. - Method of computation of license fees for milk dealers. Regulations.
Section 22-236. - License fees. Regulations. Waiver.
Section 22-237. - Issuance and display of certificate.
Section 22-239. - Commissioner may require bonds or other security of milk dealers.
Section 22-240. - Amount of bond or other security.
Section 22-241. - Standards for determining bond as security requirement.
Section 22-242a. - Bond of subdealer of milk.
Section 22-242b. - Payment by dealer for milk purchased from another dealer.
Section 22-243. - Unfair trade practices.
Section 22-244. - Disruption of market.
Section 22-245. - Cease and desist directives. Corrective terms and conditions.
Section 22-246. - Regulations.
Section 22-247. - Penalties; review.
Section 22-248. - Petition for reconsideration of order or regulation; appeal.
Section 22-249. - Appeal from rulings relating to application or license.
Section 22-254. - Enforcement by injunction.
Section 22-255. - Civil penalty.
Section 22-256. - Penalties and remedies to be concurrent.
Section 22-257. - Bond for prosecution not required of commissioner.
Section 22-258. - Severability.
Section 22-259. - Interstate commerce.
Section 22-259a. - Assessment of producers for administration of act.
Section 22-260 to 22-264. - Connecticut Wholesale Milk Producers' Council.
Section 22-265. - Establishment of fund.
Section 22-265a. - Payments to dairy farmers to offset low milk prices.