Resolve, Directing the Commissioner of Agriculture, Food and Rural Resources To Develop Best Management Practices for Poultry Production

Sec. 1. Commissioner of Agriculture, Food and Rural Resources to develop best management practices for poultry production. Resolved: That the Commissioner of Agriculture, Food and Rural Resources shall develop best management practices for the production and maintenance of poultry at facilities with more than 10,000 birds and adopt rules to establish standards for these facilities based on the best management practices. The best management practices must be available on the Department of Agriculture, Food and Rural Resources' publicly accessible website and included in the next publication of the Manual of Best Management Practices for Maine Agriculture by the department's division of animal health and industry. Rules adopted in accordance with this section are major substantive rules as defined in the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 5, chapter 375, subchapter 2-A; and be it further

Sec. 2. Commissioner of Agriculture, Food and Rural Resources to explore use of the Maine quality trademark on poultry products. Resolved: That the Commissioner of Agriculture, Food and Rural Resources shall meet with the directors of the divisions of animal health and industry and of quality assurance and regulation and a cooperative extension specialist with expertise in the commercial production of poultry to discuss possible standards for certification and the potential use of the Maine quality trademark on poultry products in accordance with the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 7, sections 443 and 443-B; and be it further

Sec. 3. Reports. Resolved: That the Commissioner of Agriculture, Food and Rural Resources shall report to the Joint Standing Committee on Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry no later than January 15, 2010 on actions taken and progress made toward meeting the directives in this resolve.

1. The report on best management practices for facilities keeping more than 10,000 birds must provide a timeline for the adoption of rules and a comparison of the proposed standards for care of the birds with the standards used by a national association of egg producers' certification program.

2. The report on the potential use of the Maine quality trademark on poultry products must summarize any meeting or meetings held as directed under section 2 of this resolve and any meetings with poultry producers, processors or other stakeholders on the promotion of Maine poultry products. The commissioner shall include a recommendation regarding the advisability of developing standards and authorization to use the Maine quality trademark for poultry products; and be it further

Sec. 4. Legislation. Resolved: That the Joint Standing Committee on Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry may report out legislation to the Second Regular Session of the 124th Legislature regarding the care of poultry and the use of the Maine quality trademark on poultry products.