A. The Beef Industry Council, established by the passage of a referendum held pursuant to Chapter 375 of the Acts of Assembly of 1983, is continued within the Department.The Beef Industry Council shall be composed of 15 members, each of whom shall be a citizen of the United States and a resident of the Commonwealth. Each member shall have been actively engaged in the type of production or business that he will represent on the Beef Industry Council for at least five years, shall derive a substantial proportion of his income from such production or business, and shall continue to be actively engaged in such production or business during his term.
B. The Governor shall appoint the members, who represent the various segments of the industry as follows:
1. Seven commercial beef cattle producers, one from each feeder cattle production area of the Commonwealth. The seven areas shall be designated by the Virginia Cattlemen’s Association in general accordance with feeder cattle marketing practices.
C. Such appointments shall be chosen from the following recommendations made through the Commissioner:
1. Each of the seven beef cattle producing areas shall recommend two producers to the Virginia Cattlemen’s Association. The Virginia Cattlemen’s Association shall recommend these 14 commercial beef cattle producers (two from each area), and at least one representative from each feeder cattle production area of the Commonwealth shall be appointed to the Beef Industry Council.
2. The Virginia Cattle Feeders Association shall recommend two commercial cattle feeders.
3. The Virginia State Dairymen’s Association shall recommend four dairymen.
4. The Beef Cattle Improvement Association shall recommend four purebred beef cattle breeders, provided that not more than one be nominated from each of the four predominant breeder associations.
5. The Virginia Association of Livestock Market Operators shall recommend four livestock market operators.
6. The Virginia Cattlemen’s Association shall recommend two persons, each of whom shall be either a processor or a packer.The recommendations shall be submitted before the expiration of the member’s term for which the nomination is being provided. If said associations fail to provide the recommendations, the Governor may appoint other nominees that meet the foregoing criteria.
History
1970, c. 310, §§ 3.1-796.15, 3.1-796.21; 1983, c. 375; 1985, c. 448; 2008, c. 860; 2011, cc. 158, 691, 714; 2016, c. 565.
