Title 69, Agriculture, Horticulture, and Animals

Except as otherwise authorized in Section 7-5-39, the Attorney General of the State of Mississippi shall represent the Soil and Water Conservation Commission in issuing, selling and validating bonds authorized under Sections 69-27-345 through 69-27-365, and the commission is auth…

Bonds issued under Sections 69-27-345 through 69-27-365 shall be legal investments for commercial banks, trust companies, savings and loan associations and insurance companies organized under the laws of this state.

All bonds issued under Sections 69-27-345 through 69-27-365 and the income therefrom shall be exempt from all taxation except gift, transfer and inheritance taxes.

Sections 69-27-345 through 69-27-363, without reference to any statute not referred to herein, shall be deemed to be full and complete authority for the issuance of such bonds, and shall be construed as an additional and alternative method therefor, and none of the present restri…

If for any reason any section, paragraph, provision, clause or part of Sections 69-27-345 through 69-27-365 shall be held unconstitutional or invalid, that section shall not affect or invalidate any other section, paragraph, provision, clause or part of sections 69-27-331 through…

(1) The Soil and Water Conservation Commission is hereby authorized to retain all funds generated from the sale of equipment. Any funds made available from the sale of equipment shall be deposited into the special fund in the State Treasury to the credit of the Soil and Water Con…

There is created in the State Treasury a special fund to be designated as the “Natural Resources Conservation Education Fund.” The fund shall consist of such monies as are required to be deposited therein under Section 27-19-56.19; any gifts, grants or other contributions from an…

It is the intent and purpose of the Legislature to encourage the conservation, protection and responsible utilization of lands that are managed for purposes of agricultural production. It is recognized that such lands are finite, fragile and valuable resources that contribute eco…

An agricultural district may be comprised of ownerships residing in more than one (1) soil and water conservation district as long as the conditions of a contiguous boundary are satisfied. In such case, each soil and water conservation district shall have the responsibility to me…

(a) As used in this chapter, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise:(a) “Agricultural production” means those operations including associated land and facility management activities engaged in the commercial propagation, raising, harvesting and/or processing of any plant …

(a) To qualify for designation as an agricultural district, a district shall initially contain at least fifty (50) contiguous acres and may include any number of individual property ownerships; however, no single ownership shall contain less than fifteen (15) acres. (b) Agricultu…

(a) Upon review of a petition, the local soil and water conservation district commissioners may approve designation of an agricultural district. A designated agricultural district shall be established for a period of five (5) years and reviewed for redesignation every five (5) ye…

(a) Upon establishment of an agricultural district, the following procedures, limitations and responsibilities shall apply:(a) Any ownership within an agricultural district that has received a notice of condemnation proceedings against its property may request the local soil and …

(1) (a) There is established the Mississippi Agricultural and Livestock Theft Bureau.(b) The Commissioner of Agriculture and Commerce shall appoint a director of the Mississippi Agricultural and Livestock Theft Bureau. Such director shall have at least five (5) years of law enfor…

For any person to haul, transport or carry any livestock upon and over the public highways, roads and streets of this state by means of a motor vehicle or other vehicle drawn or propelled by a motor vehicle, such person shall have in his possession a bill of sale showing: (i) fro…

The owner of any cattle or stock which shall be mortgaged shall, within thirty days, give notice to the mortgagee of the death, theft or estray of any animal included in the lien created by said mortgage, if the mortgagor has knowledge of the death, theft or estray, and any owner…

It shall be unlawful for a person to remove any collar, tag or marking device on any animal not owned by such person and without the permission of the owner of the animal. Any person violating the provisions of this section, upon conviction for a first violation, shall be punishe…

(1) Any sheriff, chief of police, director of highway patrol or constable, or any other peace officer in this state, shall report to the Mississippi Agricultural and Livestock Theft Bureau any theft, burglary, robbery or attempted theft, burglary or robbery of agriculture-related…

(1) Every person, firm, association or corporation, before seeking to sell or transfer dogs or cats, or both, for research, shall obtain a license from the Director of the Mississippi Agricultural and Livestock Theft Bureau. The fee and requirements for such license shall be set …

If any person, knowingly, shall mark or brand any animal, the property of another, with a mark or brand calculated or intended to designate ownership not that of the owner, without the consent of the owner, or without authority of law, and with intent to deprive the owner of his …

If any person shall knowingly alter or deface the brand or mark of any animal, intended to designate ownership, the property of another, without his consent, and with intent to deprive the owner of his property, he shall, on conviction, suffer the penalty provided in Section 69-2…

Every butcher or dealer in cattle, sheep, or hogs, who shall fail to enter in a book or register the names of all persons for whom he buys, and a description by marks, brands, and otherwise of all animals bought or kept by him for slaughter, or to allow an inspection of such entr…

Any person who shall, with intent to defraud, brand or mis-brand, mark or mismark any neat cattle or swine not his own; or any person who shall intentionally brand over a previous brand or in any manner alter, deface or obliterate a previous brand or earmark, or shall cut out and…

The purpose of this article is to provide a place for registration of brands or marks of cattle and other livestock in an appropriate bureau, which may be called the Mississippi Agricultural and Livestock Theft Bureau, in the Department of Agriculture and Commerce under the Commi…

(a) The following words, or similar words, when used in this article shall have the following meaning unless the context clearly indicates otherwise:(a) “Commissioner” means the Commissioner of Agriculture and Commerce of the State of Mississippi, under whose supervision this art…

(1) Any cattle or other livestock owner, who uses or desires to use and adopt a brand or mark to identify his livestock must register his brand or mark by making application for such registration to the Department of Agriculture and Commerce. Not only all livestock owners who hav…

In all suits at law or in equity, or in any criminal proceedings when the title or right of possession is involved, a copy of the certificate of brand or mark registration verified by affidavit of the department shall be received in evidence by the court as evidence of the regist…

All brands or marks of cattle and other livestock, upon being registered with the department shall be reregistered once every five (5) years thereafter. Those brands or marks which have been filed and recorded in the Office of the Secretary of State after January 1, 1946, give th…

The Department of Agriculture and Commerce shall prescribe and furnish forms on which applications for registration, reregistration and transfer of brands or marks shall be made and shall furnish such forms to the sheriff and the county agricultural agent of each county of the st…

(1) Every operator of a livestock market where livestock is sold shall keep a copy of the register of brands and marks in his place of business where it will be easily accessible for public inspection. (2) The operator of every livestock market where livestock is sold, together w…

The Department of Agriculture and Commerce shall have authority to promulgate such rules and regulations as are reasonably necessary to carry out the intent and purpose of this article and that shall facilitate the tracing and identification of livestock and afford protection aga…

(a) It shall be unlawful for:(a) Any person to use any brand or mark for branding cattle or other livestock unless the brand or mark is registered with the Department of Agriculture and Commerce;(b) Any person to obliterate, alter or deface the brand or mark of any animals;(c) An…

Minors owning cattle or stock separate from that of the father or guardian may have a brand and mark, which shall be recorded; the father or guardian shall be responsible for the proper use of such brand and mark of any such minor.

Any person who violates any of the provisions of this article shall be guilty of a misdemeanor, and upon conviction, shall be punished by a fine of not less than Twenty-five Dollars ($25.00), nor more than Five Hundred Dollars ($500.00), or by imprisonment for a term of not more …

For the purpose of encouraging the production of more and better livestock and poultry in this state, and for the purpose of preventing theft of livestock and poultry by posting cash rewards for the arrest and conviction of livestock and poultry thieves, and requesting the Govern…

When the theft of any livestock or poultry shall be reported to the sheriff of the county where the theft occurred, it shall be the duty of the sheriff to make prompt and diligent effort to arrest the thief or thieves. At the same time, it shall be the duty of the president of th…

It shall be the duty of the secretary of each county association to file annually with the Governor a report, countersigned by the president and treasurer of the association, showing the names of all officers and directors, the number of members, the amount of dues collected, the…

This article may be cited and shall be known as the “Animal Research or Exhibiting Facilities Protection Act.”

(a) The following words and phrases shall have the meanings ascribed herein unless the context clearly indicates otherwise:(a) “Actor” means a person accused of any of the offenses defined in this article.(b) “Animal” means a warm or cold-blooded animal used in food or fiber prod…

A person shall not, without the effective consent of the owner, acquire or otherwise exercise control over an animal facility, an animal from an animal facility or other property from an animal facility with the intent to deprive the owner of the facility, animal or property and …

A person shall not, without the effective consent of the owner, damage or destroy an animal facility or an animal or property in or on an animal facility with the intent to disrupt or damage the enterprise conducted at the animal facility.

(a) A person shall not, without the effective consent of the owner, with the intent to disrupt or damage the enterprise conducted at the animal facility:(a) Enter an animal facility, not then open to the public, with intent to commit an act prohibited by this article;(b) Remain c…

(1) A person shall not, without the effective consent of the owner, enter or remain in an animal facility with the intent to disrupt or damage the enterprise conducted at the animal facility if the person:(a) Had notice that the entry was forbidden; or(b) Received notice to depar…

This article does not apply to, affect or otherwise prohibit actions taken by the Department of Agriculture and Commerce, any other federal, state or local department or agency or an official or employee of these entities while in the exercise or performance of a power of duty im…

(1) A person violating the provisions of Sections 69-29-305, 69-29-307 and 69-29-309, upon conviction, shall be punished by a fine of not more than Ten Thousand Dollars ($10,000.00) or by imprisonment for not more than three (3) years, or both. (2) A person violating the provisio…

(a) As used in this chapter, unless the context requires otherwise:(a) “Agricultural products” means any product of agriculture which is tested for moisture content when offered for sale, processing or storage.(b) “Commissioner” means the commissioner of the Mississippi Departmen…