The
Mississippi Commissioner of Agriculture and Commerce is an elected state executive position in the Mississippi state government. The Commissioner is elected to a four-year term.
The Department of Agriculture and Commerce regulates and promotes state agri-business and its products.
Current officeholder
The current officeholder is Cindy Hyde-Smith (R). She has served since 2012.
Authority
The Mississippi Department of Agriculture and Commerce was created by an Act of the Mississippi legislature in 1906, which also provided for the election of the first Agricultural and Commerce Commissioner. The office's authority is established by Title 25, Chapter 43 of the Mississippi Annotated Code:[1]
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The Commissioner of Agriculture is an officer of the executive branch of state
government elected by the people pursuant to Miss. Code Ann. §69-9-1.
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Qualifications
To qualify to run for Agriculture and Commerce Commissioner, candidates must be:[2]
- at least 25 years of age
- a qualified elector
- citizen of Mississippi for 5 years
Elections
Mississippi elects agriculture commissioners to four-year terms during gubernatorial election years. For Mississippi, 2003, 2007, 2011, and 2015 are all agriculture commissioner election years.
Duties
The Department of Agriculture and Commerce states that its mission is "to regulate and promote agricultural-related businesses within the state and to promote Mississippi's products throughout both the state and the rest of the world for the benefit of all Mississippi citizens."[3]
Divisions
The Department of Agriculture and Commerce is under control of the Commissioner. It has 7 bureaus and departments.
Agricultural Theft Bureau
- The Agricultural Theft Bureau works "enforce all the laws of the State enacted for the purpose of preventing the theft of livestock, agricultural and aquacultural products and implements; to make investigations of violations thereof and to arrest persons violating same."
| Contact Agricultural Theft Bureau | |
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| Robert Jordan, Bureau Director
Phone: 601-359-1121
Tip Line: 1-800-678-2660
Mailing Address: P.O. Box 1609 / Jackson, MS 39215
Email: RobertJ@mdac.state.ms.us
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Board of Animal Health
- The Board of Animal Health was created by the Mississippi Legislature to "deal with all contagious and infectious diseases of animals as in the opinion of the board may be prevented, controlled, or eradicated, and with full power to make, promulgate, and enforce such rules and regulations as may be necessary to control, eradicate and prevent those diseases."
| Contact Board of Animal Health | |
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| James Watson, Director
Phone: 601-359-1170
Mailing Address: P.O. Box 3889 / Jackson, MS 39207
Email: JimW@mdac.state.ms.us
Fax: 601-359-1177
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Mississippi State Fair Commission
- The Mississippi State Fair Commission hosts over 700 events a year on the 100+ acre Fairgrounds Complex.
| Contact Mississippi State Fair Commission | |
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| Billy Orr, Executive Director
Phone: 601-961-4000
Mailing Address: P.O. Box 892 / Jackson, MS 39205
Fax: 601-354-6545
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Mississippi Farmers Market
- The Mississippi Farmers Market "was created to provide facilities for the efficient handling of farm products in the interest of the farmer, consumer, general public and the State of Mississippi."
| Contact Farmers Market | |
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Phone: 601-359-1159 or 601-354-6573
Mailing Address: P.O. Box 1609 / Jackson, MS 39215
Email: FarmersMarket@mdac.state.ms.us
Fax: 601-354-7330
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Market Development
- The Market Development Division is charged with "promoting and heightening the public's awareness of Mississippi 's agriculture commodities and the farmers and ranchers who produce them."
| Contact Market Development | |
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| Andy Prosser, Bureau Director
Phone: 601-359-1158
Mailing Address: P.O. Box 1609 / Jackson, MS 39215
Email: Andy@mdac.state.ms.us
Fax: 601-354-6001
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Bureau of Plant Industry
- The Bureau of Plant Industry was established "to protect the agricultural and horticultural interests of the state from harmful insects, diseases, and weeds." It is a regulatory and service division of the Department of Agriculture and Commerce.
| Contact Plant Industry | |
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| Butch Alpe, Director
Phone: 662-325-3391
Mailing Address: P.O. Box 5207 / Mississippi State, MS 39762
Email: Butch@mdac.state.ms.us
Fax: 662-325-8397
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Bureau of Regulatory Services
- The Bureau of Regulatory Services was designed "to protect the health and economic welfare of all citizens, to afford a measure of economic protection which citizens cannot provide for themselves, and to strive for equity in the market place which, when realized, works to the good of all citizens of this state."
| Contact Regulatory Services | |
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| Richard A. Benton, Bureau Director
Phone: 601-359-1111
Mailing Address: P.O. Box 1609 / Jackson, MS 39215
Email: RichardB@mdac.state.ms.us
Fax: 601-359-1175
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Compensation
- See also: Compensation of state executive officers
In 2012, the Mississippi Commissioner of Agriculture and Commerce was paid an estimated $85,500. This figure comes from the Council of State Governments.
Former officeholders
Since 1906, Mississippi has had 7 officeholders.
Click "show" for former officeholders.
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Name
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Took office
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Left office
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Party
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| 1
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Henry Edward Blakeslee
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1906
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1916
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| 2
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Peter Parley Garner
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1916
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1928
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| 3
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J.C. Holton
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1928
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1940
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| 4
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Silas Edward "Si" Corley
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1940
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1968
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| 5
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Jim Buck Ross
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1968
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1996
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| 6
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Lester Spell
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1996
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2012
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Republican
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| 7
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Cindy Hyde-Smith
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2012
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Present
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Republican
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Contact information
Mississippi Department of Agriculture & Commerce
121 North Jefferson Street
Jackson, MS 39201
Phone: 601-359-1100
Fax: 601-354-6290
See also
External links
References
