Dealers in agricultural products; definitions.

For the purpose of ss. 604.15-604.34, the following words and terms, when used, shall be construed to mean:

(1) “Agricultural products” means the natural products of the farm, nursery, grove, orchard, vineyard, garden, and apiary (raw or manufactured); sod; horticulture; hay; livestock; milk and milk products; poultry and poultry products; the fruit of the saw palmetto (meaning the fruit of the Serenoa repens); limes (meaning the fruit Citrus aurantifolia, variety Persian, Tahiti, Bearss, or Florida Key limes); and any other nonexempt agricultural products produced in the state, except tobacco, sugarcane, tropical foliage, timber and timber byproducts, forest products as defined in s. 591.17, and citrus other than limes.

(2) “Dealer in agricultural products” means any person, partnership, corporation, or other business entity, whether itinerant or domiciled within this state, engaged within this state in the business of purchasing, receiving, or soliciting agricultural products from the producer or the producer’s agent or representative for resale or processing for sale; acting as an agent for such producer in the sale of agricultural products for the account of the producer on a net return basis; or acting as a negotiating broker between the producer or the producer’s agent or representative and the buyer.

(3) “Delivery ticket” means a document provided to a grain producer by a grain dealer in conjunction with the delivery of grain to the grain dealer.

(4) “Department” means the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.

(5) “Grain” means any food or feed grains, which include, but are not limited to, soybeans, corn, wheat, oats, and rye.

(6) “Grain dealer” means any person engaged in this state in:

(a) Buying, receiving, selling, exchanging, negotiating, or processing for resale, or soliciting the sale, resale, exchange, or transfer of, grain purchased from the producer or the producer’s agent or representative or received from the producer to be handled on a net return basis; or

(b) Receiving grain for storage.

(7) “Negotiating broker” means any person in the state engaged in the business of negotiating sales and purchases of agricultural products with a dealer in agricultural products for or on behalf of the producer or the producer’s agent or representative. The negotiating broker never takes title to the agricultural product involved in the sale or purchase or handles the proceeds therefrom.

(8) “Net return basis” means the sale of agricultural products for the account of a producer, other than the seller, wherein the seller acts as the agent for the producer and pays the producer of such products the net proceeds after subtracting all authorized and allowable deductions.

(9) “Producer” means any grower of agricultural products produced in the state.

(10) “Producer’s agent” means the seller of agricultural products for the account of a producer or group of producers on a net return basis, wherein the producer’s agent acts as the agent for the producer or group of producers and pays the producer of such products all of the net proceeds after subtracting all authorized and allowable deductions. Allowable deductions may include, but are not limited to: packing charges, shipping charges, boxes, crates, billing, commission fees, cooling charges, pallets, and other deductible charges or fees agreed upon by the producer and producer’s agent.