The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has issued a final rule changing the allocation of the assessment rate prescribed under the marketing order regulating tart cherries grown in Michigan, New York, Pennsylvania, Oregon, Utah, Washington and Wisconsin.
This action adjusts how the Cherry Industry Administrative Board allocates funds to support its internal operations and marketing order activities. The board will decrease the portion of the assessment rate allocated to research and promotion activities from $0.005 to $0.00275 per pound of tart cherries and increase the portion allocated to administrative expenses from $0.00075 to $0.003 per pound of tart cherries. The overall assessment rate established for the board will remain unchanged at $0.00575 per pound of cherries for 2020-2021 and subsequent fiscal periods.
The final rule was published in the Federal Register on April 19, 2021, and is effective on May 19, 2021. The rule is intended to help the board fully fund its administrative obligations while continuing limited research and promotion activities.
More information about the marketing order is available on the Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) 930 Tart Cherries webpage, the AMS Marketing Orders and Agreements webpage or by contacting the Marketing Order and Agreement Division at (202) 720-2491.
Authorized by the Agricultural Marketing Agreement Act of 1937, marketing orders are industry-driven programs that help fruit, vegetable and specialty crop producers and handlers achieve marketing success by leveraging their own funds to design and execute programs that they would not be able to do individually. AMS provides oversight to 29 fruit, vegetable and specialty crop marketing orders and agreements, which helps ensure fiscal accountability and program integrity.
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