|
Recent Rulemaking:
Tomatoes Grown in Florida; Decreased Assessment Rate. Docket Number: AMS-FV-12-0051; FV12-966-1 FIR. EFFECTIVE: May 15, 2013. [ Notice PDF]
Tomatoes Grown in Florida; Decreased Assessment Rate. Docket Number: AMS-FV-12-0051; FV12-966-1IR. Comments received by April 9, 2013, will be considered prior to issuance of a final rule. [ Notice PDF]
Tomatoes Grown in Florida; Increased Assessment Rate. Docket Number: AMS-FV-11-0080; FV11-966-1PR. Comments due by April 25, 2012. [ Notice PDF]
Tomatoes Grown in Florida; Decreased Assessment Rate. Docket Number: AMS-FV-09-0063; FV09-966-2 FIR. EFFECTIVE: March 9, 2010. [ Notice PDF]
Vegetable Import Regulations; Administrative Changes for Tomatoes. Docket Number:AMS-FV-08-0018; FV08-980-1 FR. EFFECTIVE: January 11, 2010. [ Notice PDF] [ Correction]
Import Regulations: Partial Exemption to Minimum Grade Requirements for Fresh Tomatoes. Docket Number: AMS-FV-08-0097; FV09-980-1 FR. EFFECTIVE: October 5, 2009. [ Notice PDF]
Tomatoes Grown in Florida; Partial Exemption to Minimum Grade Requirements. Docket Number: AMS-FV-08-0090; FV09-96-1 FIR. EFFECTIVE: May 18, 2009. [ Notice PDF]
Major Provisions:
- Commodity Regulated: Tomatoes grown in Florida
- Crop Shipping Season: October through June
- Fiscal Year: August 1 through July 31
- Production Area(s): Florida, except the area west of the Suwannee River
- Order Authority and Regulations: The marketing order authorizes the handling of Florida fresh market tomatoes by grade, size, quality, maturity, pack, and container. The grade, size, quality and maturity requirements established under the order also apply to imported tomatoes from October 10 through June 15. The order’s container and pack requirements are not applied to imported tomatoes.
- Research and Promotion: The order provides authority for production research, marketing research and development, and marketing promotion, including paid advertising.
- The marketing order was promulgated in 1955 and was last amended under formal rulemaking on August 27, 1986.
- 8e Requirements: The 8e requirements specify that imported commodities must meet the same or comparable minimum grade, size, quality, and maturity requirements, as those specified under their marketing order.
Committee Structure: The Florida Tomato Committee, which administers the order locally, consists of 12 producers and their alternates. Members representing four districts serve one-year terms that begin August 1. Producer members are nominated by producers at nomination meetings held in each of the four established districts.
Contact: Reggie Brown, Manager; Florida Tomato Committee; 800 Trafalgar Court, Suite 300; Maitland, Florida 32751; Phone: (407) 660-1949; Fax: (407) 660-1656. Web site: http://www.floridatomatoes.org.
AMS Contact: Director, Marketing Order and Agreement Division, Fruit and Vegetable Program, Agricultural Marketing Service; Phone (202) 720-2491.
|