17-10-214. Agricultural product marketing contracts.

(a) A cooperative and its patron member or patron may make and execute a marketing contract, requiring the patron member or patron to sell a specified portion of his agricultural product or specified commodity produced from a certain area exclusively to or through the cooperative or facility established by the cooperative.

(b) If a sale is contracted to the cooperative, the sale shall transfer title to the product absolutely, except for a recorded lien or security interest, to the cooperative on delivery of the product or at another specified time if expressly provided in the contract. The contract may allow the cooperative to sell or resell the product of its patron member or patron with or without taking title to the product, and pay the resale price to the patron member or patron, after deducting all necessary selling, overhead and other costs and expenses, including other proper reserves and interest.

(c) A single term of a marketing contract shall not exceed ten (10) years, but a marketing contract may be made self-renewing for periods not exceeding five (5) years each, subject to the right of either party to terminate by giving written notice of the termination during a period of the current term as specified in the contract.

(d) The bylaws or the marketing contract, or both, may set a specific sum as liquidated damages to be paid by the patron member or patron to the cooperative for breach of any provision of the marketing contract regarding the sale or delivery or withholding of a product and may provide that the member or patron shall pay the costs, premiums for bonds, expenses and fees if an action is brought on the contract by the cooperative. The remedies for breach of contract are valid and enforceable in the courts of this state. The provisions shall be enforced as liquidated damages and are not to be considered or regarded as a penalty.

(e) If there is a breach or threatened breach of a marketing contract by a patron member or patron, the cooperative is entitled to an injunction to prevent the further breach of the contract and to a decree of specific performance of the contract. Pending the adjudication of the action after filing a certified complaint showing the breach or threatened breach and filing a sufficient bond, the cooperative is entitled to a temporary restraining order and preliminary injunction against the patron member or patron.

(f) Any person who knowingly induces or attempts to induce any member or patrons of a cooperative organized under this article to breach his marketing contract with the cooperative, or who maliciously and knowingly spreads false reports about the finances or management thereof, shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and subject to a fine of not less than one hundred dollars ($100.00), and not more than one thousand dollars ($1,000.00), for each such offense; provided, that this section shall not apply to a bona fide creditor of such cooperative, or the agent or attorney of any such bona fide creditor, endeavoring to make collections of the indebtedness.

(g) In addition to the penalty provided in subsection (f) of this section, the person, corporation or other entity may be liable to the cooperative for civil damages for any violation of the provisions of subsection (f) of this section. Each violation shall constitute a separate offense and is subject to the penalties in this subsection and subsection (f) of this section.