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minimum wholesale prices paid to producers to reflect the | costs of producing milk in this State. |
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| B. The minimum wholesale prices paid to dealers must be | established to reflect the lowest prices at which milk | purchased from producers in this State at minimum prices in | the State can be received, processed, packaged and | distributed within the State at a just and reasonable | return, and in addition must include the amount of any tax | determined by Title 36, chapter 716. |
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| C. The minimum retail prices established for payment by | consumers shall must be based on the minimum wholesale price | paid to dealers and a rate of return deemed determined to be | just and reasonable by the Maine Milk Commission. |
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| D.__In establishing and changing minimum wholesale and | retail prices, the commission shall consider the effect of | possible pricing decisions on the ability of the Maine dairy | industry to compete in supplying milk to Maine consumers | and, in such a consideration, shall include the following | factors: |
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| (1)__The strength and viability of the Maine dairy | industry as a whole; |
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| (2)__The extent of any social or economic benefits of | maintaining dairy processing plants in different | geographic regions or natural marketing areas of the | State; and |
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| (3)__The encouragement of consumption by Maine | consumers of milk produced and processed within the | State, consistent with the Constitution of Maine and | the United States Constitution. |
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| E. The commission may not set different minimum wholesale | prices for different retail delivery volumes of milk. |
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| | Sec. F-9. 7 MRSA §2954, sub-§4, as repealed and replaced by PL 1975, | c. 517, §3, is amended to read: |
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| | 4. Commission empowered to establish classifications of milk. | The commission is vested with power to may establish and change, | after investigation and public hearing, classifications of milk | according to its various usages and shall specify to what | classification the prices established under this chapter shall | apply. |
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