Bureau of Agricultural Dealer's Licenses
Division of Marketing and DevelopmentFlorida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services
2007-2008 Overview of Activities
The Department continued its support of Florida agriculture by conscientiously administering Florida’s Dealers in Agricultural Products Law. This law ensures that Florida producers of agricultural products covered by the license and bond provisions receive proper accounting and payment for their products.
During fiscal year 2007-2008 the Department issued 5,780 licenses, applied $1,020,440 in license fees and delinquent penalties.
Department associates settled 110 dealer claims in the past year. Claims against dealers in agricultural products must be filed within six months from the date of sale and total a minimum of $500. The efforts of Department associates resulted in a recovery of $512,250.52 on behalf of Florida agricultural dealers.
The Department closely monitors dealers to make sure they maintain adequate bonds to protect Florida growers. Department associates conducted 628 bond and compliance audits of dealer’s records during the year. These audits are designed to ensure that bond amounts are maintained, to determine whether unlicensed dealers were exempt from license and bond requirements, to determine if prospective licensees were conducting business in a manner requiring licensure, and to document violations of Department enforcement actions.
The Department opened 202 new enforcement cases, closed 161 cases, and collected $201,903.51in administrative fines during the 2007-2008 fiscal year. Enforcement actions resulted in an additional $2,121,065 of bond protection for Florida growers.
