(a) It is declared to be in the interest of the public welfare that the Maryland farmers who are producers of livestock, poultry, field crops, including nursery stock, bulbs, and flowers; and other agricultural products having a domestic or foreign market, shall be permitted and encouraged to act jointly and in cooperation with growers, handlers, dealers, and processors of these products in promoting and stimulating, by advertising and other methods, the increased production, and domestic and foreign use and sale of any agricultural commodities.

(b) The passage by the Seventy-Ninth Congress of a law designated as Public Law 733, and, particularly Title II of that act, cited as “Agricultural Marketing Act of 1946”, makes it important for producers, handlers, processors, and others concerned with specific agricultural commodities to associate themselves in action programs, separately, and with public and private agencies, to obtain the greatest and most immediate benefits under the provisions of the federal law, in respect to research, studies, and problems of marketing, transportation, and distribution.

(c) It is declared to be in the public interest and highly advantageous to the State‘s agricultural economy that farmers, producers, and growers commercially producing agricultural commodities be permitted by referendum to be held among the respective groups and, subject to the provisions of this article, to levy upon themselves an assessment on the respective commodities or upon the acreage used in their production and provide for the collection of the assessment. The assessments are for the financing, or to contribute towards the financing, of a program of advertising and other methods designed to increase consumption and domestic and foreign markets for any agricultural commodity. The assessments also may be used for the financing, or to contribute towards the financing, of a program of production, use, and sale of any agricultural commodity.