No person, unless exempted by the secretary as provided in this section, shall engage in or carry on the business of buying milk or cream in this state for shipment, sale, resale or manufacture, unless the business is regularly transacted or conducted at an office or station within the state and unless such person is duly licensed as provided in this article.
The secretary may, in his discretion, exempt from the provisions of this article any dealers who do not make purchases of milk or cream from more than two producers, or whose total monthly purchases do not exceed two hundred dollars.