As used in this article, unless the context requires a different meaning:

"Agricultural produce" means fruits and vegetables.

"Bond" means a bond executed by a surety company licensed to do business in the Commonwealth.

"Buying brokerage transaction" means a transaction in which the dealer acts as agent for the grower in the purchase of agricultural produce at the day's price for the agricultural produce purchased in the transaction.

"Cash buyer" means any person who obtains from the producer, or his representative, title, possession or control of any agricultural produce or contracts for the title, possession or control of any agricultural produce, and who buys any agricultural produce by paying to the producer at the time of obtaining possession or control, or at the time of contracting for the title, possession or control of any agricultural produce, the agreed price of such agricultural produce in coin or currency, certified checks, cashier's checks or drafts issued by a bank.

"Consignment" means any transfer of agricultural produce by the seller to the custody of another person who acts as the agent for the seller for the purpose of selling such agricultural produce.

"Day's price" means the market price of any agricultural produce on a given day as determined by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and published by the Division.

"Dealer" means any person who buys, sells, solicits for sale, processes for sale or resale, resells, exchanges, negotiates, purchases or contracts for processing or transfers any agricultural produce of a producer. The term shall exclude: (i) any person operating solely on a commission basis in Virginia as a licensed commission merchant under the provisions of Article 2 of this chapter; (ii) farmers or groups of farmers selling agricultural produce grown by them; (iii) any person who operates strictly as a cash buyer; (iv) any processor who processes agricultural produce within Virginia; and (v) any person who buys agricultural produce for wholesale or retail in Virginia.

"Grower's agent transaction" means a transaction or series of transactions in which the dealer agrees to sell the entire crop produced by one grower during one season, at a price to be agreed upon between the dealer and the grower.

"Joint account transactions" means a transaction between a dealer and grower in which the dealer pays the grower based on the price for which the agricultural produce sells in relation to the price agreed upon between the dealer and grower.

"Processor" means any person operating any plant in the Commonwealth that freezes, dehydrates, cans, or otherwise changes the physical form or characteristics of agricultural produce.

"Producer" means any person who produces agricultural produce in Virginia.

1968, c. 598, § 3.1-722.1; 1970, c. 400; 1972, c. 646; 1994, c. 340. 2008, c. 860.