1.1                          A bill for an act 
  1.2             relating to agriculture; providing grant assistance 
  1.3             for the creation of agricultural product shipper 
  1.4             organizations; appropriating money. 
  1.5   BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.6      Section 1.  [APPROPRIATION; COOPERATIVE SHIPPERS 
  1.7   ASSOCIATION.] 
  1.8      (a) $....... is appropriated from the general fund to the 
  1.9   commissioner of agriculture to provide grants or direct 
  1.10  assistance to Minnesota agricultural producers and processors in 
  1.11  forming a not-for-profit corporation or a member cooperative 
  1.12  shippers association.  The purpose of the shippers association 
  1.13  is to facilitate agricultural marketing through the efficient 
  1.14  and economical movement of products from Minnesota origins to 
  1.15  their destinations.  Products may include agricultural 
  1.16  commodities and processed and manufactured agricultural 
  1.17  products.  The shippers association shall also assist small and 
  1.18  medium-sized producers by providing services that increase 
  1.19  negotiating power and provide quality transportation services at 
  1.20  a lower cost than is available to an individual shipper. 
  1.21     (b) The commissioner may award grants to one or more 
  1.22  qualifying producer shipping associations that contract to enter 
  1.23  into collaborative agreements with the departments of 
  1.24  agriculture, trade and economic development, and transportation; 
  1.25  farm organizations; processors and handlers of Minnesota 
  2.1   agricultural products; and other appropriate public and private 
  2.2   entities knowledgeable in the logistical and financial issues 
  2.3   involved in moving agricultural products to market.  Along with 
  2.4   other services, an eligible grant recipient must agree to 
  2.5   provide or arrange for identity-preserved, single-source billing 
  2.6   and tracking transportation services from agricultural producers 
  2.7   or processors to destination customers; freight forwarding; 
  2.8   negotiations for volume contracts; banking and insurance 
  2.9   services; government inspection fee and documentation services; 
  2.10  intermodal transportation services using sealed containers; and 
  2.11  liaison services with the United States Department of 
  2.12  Agriculture and the foreign agricultural service for 
  2.13  international trade and export programs. 
  2.14     (c) This appropriation is available until June 30, 2003.