Kentucky Revised Statutes Title XXI. Agriculture and Animals § 260.036.Agricultural products grading program

(1) The Department of Agriculture may promote the sale of raw agricultural products produced in the state by operating, maintaining, and administering a standard grading program for evaluating raw agricultural products.

(2) The department may, after consultation with the University of Kentucky College of Agriculture and associations actively involved in promoting the sale of agricultural products within the state, promulgate standards for grading, marking, weighing, storing, transporting, and harvesting these agricultural products. These standards shall promote the sale of agricultural products by standardizing the quality and quantity of the raw agricultural products produced by participants in the department's standard grading program.

(3) The department may undertake appropriate measures to aid, encourage, foster, and promote the sale, development, and improvement of raw agricultural products produced in the state which have been graded by a department standard grading program.

(4) The department may employ persons to carry out the provisions of this section.

(5) The department may administer the provisions of this section and adopt administrative regulations to carry out the provisions of this section. The department may conduct examinations, inspections, or hearings for the proper administration of this standard grading program. All authorized hearings shall be conducted in accordance with KRS Chapter 13B.

(6) The department may collect a reasonable fee for grading services provided to a participant in the standard grading program. However, the fee shall not exceed thirty dollars ($30) per sample graded by the department's employees. All fees collected under the provisions of this section shall be credited to the department for use in carrying out the standard grading program.