(a) Act means article 25 of the Agriculture and Markets Law of the State of New York.

(b) Advisory board means the advisory board established pursuant to the provisions of subdivision 9 of section 294 of article 25 of the Agriculture and Markets Law and section 203.3 of this Part.

(c) Central area means that part of the State of New York consisting of the following counties: Wayne, Tioga, Broome, Seneca, Schuyler, Cayuga, Madison, Chemung, Oswego, Oneida, Onondaga, Lewis, Cortland, Jefferson, Tompkins and Chenango.

(d) Eastern area means that part of the State of New York consisting of the following counties: Franklin, Clinton, Essex, Hamilton, Warren, Herkimer, Otsego, Delaware, Schoharie, Montgomery, Fulton, Saratoga, Washington, Schenectady, Albany, Rensselaer, Greene, Columbia, Ulster, Dutchess, Sullivan, Orange, Putnam, Westchester, Rockland, Nassau, Suffolk and St. Lawrence.

(e) Western area means that part of the State of New York consisting of the following counties: Niagara, Monroe, Erie, Orleans, Genesee, Wyoming, Chautauqua, Cattaraugus, Allegany, Steuben, Yates, Ontario and Livingston.

(f) Commissioner means the Commissioner of Agriculture and Markets of the State of New York, or any officer or employee of the Department of Agriculture and Markets to whom authority may be delegated to act pursuant to section 17 of the Agriculture and Markets Law.

(g) Declaration of planted acres means a statement, the form of which shall be prescribed by the commissioner, upon which the owner, lessee or other operator of an onion-growing farm shall declare the number of acres of onions in production.

(h) Department means the Department of Agriculture and Markets of the State of New York.

(i) Grower means any person who produces or causes to be produced onions as defined herein.

(j) Handler means any person engaged within New York State in buying and/or selling, offering for sale, marketing, processing and distributing onions or onion products which he has purchased or acquired from a grower, or which he is marketing on behalf of a grower, whether as owner, agent, employee, broker or otherwise.

(k) Marketing season means the period beginning April 1st of any year and extending through March 31st of the following year.

(l) Planted onions means the botanical structures used for planting purposes in New York State and commonly referred to as seeds or sets or plants.

(m) Onions means all onions produced in New York State for the purpose of sale.

(n) Person means any individual, firm, corporation, partnership, company, unincorporated association, agency or institution.

(o) Research means any type of activity to advance the image, desirability, marketability, production or quality of onions or onion products and the accumulation and dissemination of research data with respect thereto.

(p) Program means the New York State Onion Research and Development Program (marketing order).