7 U.S.C. § 454 — Advisers to counsel with Secretary of Agri-

Page 408 TITLE 7—AGRICULTURE § 453 porations; Advisory Board of Commodity Credit Cor- poration; and Farm Credit Administration or any agen- cy, officer, or entity of, under, or subject to supervision of said Administration excepted from functions of offi- cers, agencies, and employees transferred to Secretary of Agriculture by 1953 Reorg. Plan No. 2, § 1, eff. June 4, 1953, 18 F.R. 3219, 67 Stat. 633, set out as a note under section 2201 of this title. § 453. Authority and duties of division (a) The division shall render service to asso- ciations of producers of agricultural products, and federations and subsidiaries thereof, en- gaged in the cooperative marketing of agricul- tural products, including processing, warehousing, manufacturing, storage, the coop- erative purchasing of farm supplies, credit, fi- nancing, insurance, and other cooperative ac- tivities. (b) The division is authorized— (1) To acquire, analyze, and disseminate eco- nomic, statistical, and historical information regarding the progress, organization, and busi- ness methods of cooperative associations in the United States and foreign countries. (2) To conduct studies of the economic, legal, financial, social, and other phases of co- operation, and publish the results thereof. Such studies shall include the analyses of the organization, operation, financial and mer- chandising problems of cooperative associa- tions. (3) To make surveys and analyses if deemed advisable of the accounts and business prac- tices of representative cooperative associa- tions upon their request; to report to the asso- ciation so surveyed the results thereof; and with the consent of the association so sur- veyed to publish summaries of the results of such surveys, together with similar facts, for the guidance of cooperative associations and for the purpose of assisting cooperative asso- ciations in developing methods of business and market analysis. (4) To confer and advise with committees or groups of producers, if deemed advisable, that may be desirous of forming a cooperative asso- ciation and to make an economic survey and analysis of the facts surrounding the produc- tion and marketing of the agricultural prod- uct or products which the association, if formed, would handle or market. (5) To acquire from all available sources in- formation concerning crop prospects, supply, demand, current receipts, exports, imports, and prices of the agricultural products han- dled or marketed by cooperative associations, and to employ qualified commodity marketing specialists to summarize and analyze this in- formation and disseminate the same among cooperative associations and others. (6) To promote the knowledge of cooperative principles and practices and to cooperate, in promoting such knowledge, with educational and marketing agencies, cooperative associa- tions, and others. (7) To make such special studies, in the United States and foreign countries, and to ac- quire and disseminate such information and findings as may be useful in the development and practice of cooperation. (July 2, 1926, ch. 725, § 3, 44 Stat. 802.) § 454. Advisers to counsel with Secretary of Agri- culture; expenses and subsistence The Secretary of Agriculture is authorized, in his discretion, to call advisers to counsel with him and/or his representatives relative to spe- cific problems of cooperative marketing of farm products or any other cooperative activity. Any person, other than an officer, agent, or employee of the United States, called into conference, as provided for in this section, may be paid actual transportation expenses and not to exceed $10 per diem to cover subsistence and other ex- penses while in conference and en route from and to his home. (July 2, 1926, ch. 725, § 4, 44 Stat. 803.) Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries TRANSFER TO SECRETARY OF AGRICULTURE Transfer of Division of Cooperative Marketing ‘‘(by whatever name now called)’’ from Farm Credit Admin- istration to Secretary of Agriculture, by act Aug. 6, 1953, ch. 335, § 9, 67 Stat. 394, see note set out under sec- tion 452 of this title. Executive Documents TRANSFER OF FUNCTIONS Farmer Cooperative Service in Department of Agri- culture as successor to functions of Cooperative Re- search and Service Division, Farm Credit Administra- tion, see note set out under section 452 of this title. For prior transfers of functions, see notes set out under section 452 of this title. EXCEPTIONS FROM TRANSFER OF FUNCTIONS Functions of Corporations of Department of Agri- culture, boards of directors and officers of such cor- porations; Advisory Board of Commodity Credit Cor- poration; and Farm Credit Administration or any agen- cy, officer, or entity of, under, or subject to supervision of said Administration excepted from functions of offi- cers, agencies, and employees transferred to Secretary of Agriculture by 1953 Reorg. Plan No. 2, § 1, eff. June 4, 1953, 18 F.R. 3219, 67 Stat. 633, set out as a note under section 2201 of this title. § 455. Dissemination of crop, market, etc., infor- mation by cooperative marketing associa- tions Persons engaged, as original producers of agri- cultural products, such as farmers, planters, ranchmen, dairymen, nut or fruit growers, act- ing together in associations, corporate or other- wise, in collectively processing, preparing for market, handling, and marketing in interstate and/or foreign commerce such products of per- sons so engaged, may acquire, exchange, inter- pret, and disseminate past, present, and prospec- tive crop, market, statistical, economic, and other similar information by direct exchange be- tween such persons, and/or such associations or federations thereof, and/or by and through a common agent created or selected by them. (July 2, 1926, ch. 725, § 5, 44 Stat. 803.) § 456. Rules and regulations; appointment, re- moval, and compensation of employees; ex- penditures; authorization of appropriations The Secretary of Agriculture may make such rules and regulations as may be deemed advis-