The committee shall have, among others, the following duties:

(a) To act as intermediary between the Secretary and any producer, dehydrator, or handler;

(b) To keep minutes, books, and other records which shall clearly reflect all of its acts and transactions, and such minutes, books, and other records shall be subject to examination by the Secretary at any time;

(c) To make, subject to the prior approval of the Secretary, scientific and other studies, and assemble data on the producing, handling, shipping, and marketing conditions relative to prunes, which are necessary in connection with the performance of its official duties;

(d) To select, from among its members, a chairman and other appropriate officers, and to adopt such rules and regulations for the conduct of the business of the committee as it may deem advisable;

(e) To appoint or employ such other persons as it may deem necessary, and to determine the salaries and define the duties of such persons;

(f) To submit to the Secretary not later than the fourth Tuesday of July of each year, a budget of its anticipated expenditures and the recommended rate of assessment for the ensuing crop year, and the supporting data therefor;

(g) To submit to the Secretary such available information with respect to prunes as the committee may deem appropriate, or as the Secretary may request;

(h) To prepare and submit to the Secretary quarterly statements of the financial operations of the committee, exclusive of reserve prune operations, and to make such statements, together with the minutes of the meetings of said committee, available for inspection at the offices of the committee by producers, dehydrators, and handlers;

(i) To prepare and submit to the Secretary annually, as soon as practicable after the end of each crop year and at such other times as the committee may deem appropriate or the Secretary may request, a statement of the committee's financial operations with respect to reserve prunes for such crop year and to make such statement available at the offices of the committee for inspection by producers, dehydrators, and handlers;

(j) To cause the books of the committee to be audited by a certified public accountant at least once each crop year, and at such other times as the committee may deem necessary or as the Secretary may request, and two copies of each such audit report shall be submitted to the Secretary and a copy which does not contain confidential data shall be available for inspection at the offices of the committee, by producers, dehydrators, and handlers;

(k) To give the Secretary the same notice of meetings of the committee as is given to the members of the committee;

(l) To give producers, dehydrators, and handlers reasonable advance notice of meetings of the committee, and to maintain all such meetings open to such persons;

(m) To investigate compliance with the provisions of this subpart and with any rules and regulations established pursuant to such provisions; and

(n) To establish, with the approval of the Secretary, such rules and procedures relative to administration of this subpart as may be consistent with the provisions contained in this subpart and as may be necessary to accomplish the purposes of the act and the efficient administration of this subpart.