The Mississippi Department of Agriculture and Commerce has devoted most of its time to the promotion, regulation, and inspection of various agriculture related industries. The regulatory duties were established to insure that Mississippi’s farmers were buying quality seeds, feed, and fertilizer; insure that the public received only wholesale meat and dairy products; prevent the spread of infectious diseases among animals; guarantee that agricultural products were properly labeled; and to insure that weights and other measures were fair and accurate. The PEER Committee found the department to be adequately discharging all regulatory duties. Several recommendations in the areas of management and personnel were detailed in the report, especially in the Market Development Division. A major recommendation of the PEER Committee was the abandonment of state meat inspection in favor of total federal inspection. The department could save annually, with no loss of services, about $540,000.
For a paper copy of this report, contact PEER by telephone at 601-359-1226 or by e-mail at reports@peer.ms.gov.