SECTIONS 65500-65502 - California Statutes

FOOD AND AGRICULTURAL CODE

SECTION 65500-65502

65500. (a) Grapes produced in California for fresh human
consumption comprise one of the major agricultural crops of
California, and the production and marketing of such grapes affects
the economy, welfare, standard of living and health of a large number
of citizens residing in this state.
(b) Increased plantings of vineyards and improved cultural
practices for the production of California grapes for fresh human
consumption have increased and will continue to increase the
production thereof and unless the fresh human comsumption of
California grapes is increased by the expansion of existing markets
and the development of new markets, the interests of the fresh grape
industry of California, and the public interest of the people of this
state, will be adversely affected.
(c) The inability of individual producers to maintain or expand
present markets or to develop new or larger markets for such grapes
results in an unreasonable and unnecessary economic waste of the
agricultural wealth of this state.
(d) Such conditions and the accompanying waste jeopardize the
future continued production of adequate supplies of fresh grapes for
human consumption for the people of this and other states, and
prevent producers from obtaining a fair return for their labor, their
farms and their production. As a consequence, the purchasing power
of such producers has been in the past, and may continue to be in the
future unless such conditions are remedied, low in relation to that
of other people engaged in other gainful occupations within the
state, and they are thereby prevented from maintaining a proper
standard of living and from contributing their fair share to the
support of the necessary governmental and education functions, thus
tending to increase unfairly the tax burden of other citizens of the
state.
(e) These conditions vitally concern the health, peace, safety and
general welfare of the people of this state. It is therefore
necessary and expedient in the public interest to protect and enhance
the reputation of California fresh grapes for human consumption in
intrastate, interstate and foreign markets, and to otherwise act so
to eliminate unreasonable and unnecessary economic waste of the
agricultural wealth of this state.
(f) The promotion of the sale of fresh grapes for human
consumption by means of advertising, dissemination of information on
the manner and means of production, and the care and effort required
in the production of such grapes, the methods and care required in
preparing and transporting such grapes to market, and the handling of
the same in consuming markets, reseach respecting the health, food
and dietetic value of California fresh grapes and the production,
handling, transportation and marketing thereof, the dissemination of
information respecting the results of such research, instruction of
the wholesale and retail trade with respect to handling thereof, and
the education and instruction of the general public with reference to
the various varieties of California fresh grapes for human
consumption, the time to use and consume each variety and the uses to
which each variety should be put, the dietetic and health value
thereof, all serve to increase the consumption thereof and to expand
existing markets and create new markets for fresh grapes, and prevent
agricultural waste, and is therefore in the interests of the
welfare, public economy and health of the people of this state.
(g) It is hereby declared to be the policy of this state to aid
producers of California fresh grapes in preventing economic waste in
the marketing of their commodity, to develop more efficient and
equitable methods in such marketing, and to aid such producers in
restoring and maintaining their purchasing power at a more adequate,
equitable and reasonable level.
(h) The production and marketing of grapes produced in California
for fresh human consumption is declared to be affected with a public
interest; the provisions of this chapter are enacted in the exercise
of the police power of this state for the purpose of protecting the
health, peace, safety and general welfare of the people of this
state.

65501. Notwithstanding other laws to the contrary, in the event a
commodity or marketing agreement or marketing order under the
jurisdiction of the United States Department of Agriculture or other
appropriate federal agency, is created by referendum or under the
applicable laws and procedures relating thereto, in this state or in
any geographical area within this state, which agreement or order
contains provisions substantially similar to the provisions of this
chapter, this chapter shall be inapplicable to any producer, shipper,
or other person covered by, and, to the extent of such coverage,
during the existence of such federal agreement or order.

65502. This chapter shall be known as the Ketchum Act.