(1) The Commissioner shall promote and encourage, as far as practicable, the organization of agricultural organizations and associations. He shall ascertain in detail the quality and quantity of land under cultivation; the kinds, amounts and value of the annual field crops; the annual production of orchards, gardens, and dairies; the kinds, value, and increase of livestock; the character and wages of labor employed in the cultivation of the soil; and the value of agricultural exports and imports.
(2) The Commissioner may, if he thinks it will promote the objects of the department, expend such sums as are available in the payment of premiums that he offers to encourage the agricultural industry of the state.