§1292 New Uses and Markets for Commodities

Summary

Create and run four regional research laboratories, one in each major farm area, to find new scientific, chemical, and technical uses and new or bigger markets for farm commodities, their products, and byproducts. The work must focus mostly on crops and goods that often have regular or seasonal surpluses. The Secretary may buy land, accept donations of property, and use unpaid voluntary help for the labs. Gifts given to one lab cannot be used by another. The Secretary can work with federal and state agencies, experiment stations, counties, cities, businesses, universities, scientific groups, and individuals on terms the Secretary sets. Each fiscal year starting July 1, 1938, up to $4,000,000 from the listed appropriations may be used for these labs, with one-fourth of that amount going to each lab. Also, $1,000,000 each fiscal year is set aside for the Secretary of Commerce to promote sales of farm goods, and $100,000 of that first year’s amount must fund a study of why U.S. farm exports fell and how to sell more abroad. The Secretary must use available funds to expand use of farm commodities in the United States and to boost their sales worldwide.