93.40 Dairy promotion.

(1) Duties. The department shall:

(a) Promote the sale of Wisconsin dairy products.

(b) Stimulate, promote, advertise and publicize the dairy industry in this state.

(c) Create an accurate national and international image of the state dairy industry.

(d) Encourage all farmers and dairy businesses to participate in available education programs.

(e) Encourage and cooperate with communities, groups and individuals in the state in pursuing the dairy promotion objectives of the department.

(f) Coordinate and stimulate the orderly and ecologically sound development of the dairy industry throughout the state.

(g) Promote the growth of the dairy industry through research, planning, and assistance, including grants and loans to dairy producers and grants to persons operating processing plants.

(2) Sales. The department shall annually formulate a plan to encourage the marketing of dairy products and the promotion of the dairy industry of the state for the ensuing year, and shall implement the plan. The department shall cooperate with farmers, dairy businesses and organizations to assure coordination with private plans and programs.

(3) Services. The department may:

(a) Collect and disseminate information as to the availability and the economic and nutritional advantages of dairy products.

(b) Establish, manage and operate permanent or temporary dairy promotion centers to be operated by the department in cooperation with the department of tourism tourist information centers along major highways into the state.

(c) Provide advice and service to persons or groups engaged in the dairy industry.

(d) Conduct research into the status and needs of the dairy industry.

(4) Advertising. The department shall plan and conduct a program of advertising designed to promote the dairy industry. Any contracts engaging a private agency to conduct an advertising or promotion program under this subsection shall reserve to the department the right to terminate the contract if the service is unsatisfactory to the department. The department shall encourage and coordinate the efforts of public and private organizations to publicize the dairy industry. Any public or private organization not organized or incorporated for profit may apply to the department for advertising funds under this section. Prior to applying for these funds, each prospective applicant shall submit a plan and budget specifying the media to be used, the market to be approached, the dairy product or component of the dairy industry to be promoted and the applicant's estimated expenditures and receipts for the various projects within the plan. The department may promulgate rules imposing additional requirements to ensure that public funds are efficiently used to promote dairy products and the dairy industry of this state.

History: 1981 c. 357; 1987 a. 186; 1991 a. 39; 1995 a. 27; 2011 a. 32; 2013 a. 20.