Bureau of Agricultural Dealer's Licenses
Division of Marketing and DevelopmentFlorida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services
2006-2007 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 2006-2007 the Department issued 4,622 licenses, applied $891,105 in license fees and delinquent penalties, and managed over $100 million in bond protection for Florida growers.
Department associates settled 68 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 $420,248.54 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 604 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 150 new enforcement cases, closed 115 cases, and collected $87,645 in administrative fines during the 2006-2007 fiscal year. Enforcement actions resulted in an additional $2,234,218 of bond protection for Florida growers.
