1. The department of agriculture shall provide assistance to persons engaged in agricultural production in the following areas:
(1) Cooperative marketing of agricultural products;
(2) Cooperative processing of agricultural products;
(3) Development of regional and niche markets for the marketing of agricultural products; and
(4) Dissemination of the most modern information and technology related to agricultural production, processing and marketing. Such assistance shall have as its primary focus the provision of assistance to small, independent family-owned or -operated agricultural producers or processors.
2. An annual report on the activities engaged in, number of persons served and evaluation of project effectiveness shall be submitted by the department of agriculture to the general assembly, no later than December 1, 1996, and each year thereafter by December first.