🌱Regulations on Salable Quantities of Spearmint Oil for 2025-2026
This proposed rule would implement a recommendation from the Far West Spearmint Oil Administrative Committee (Committee) to establish salable quantities and allotment percentages for Class 1 (Scotch) and Class 3 (Native) spearmint oil produced in Washington, Idaho, and Oregon and parts of Nevada and Utah (Far West) for the 2025- 2026 marketing year.
Learn More🥔Final Rule on Increased Potato Assessment Rates for 2024-2025
This final rule implements a recommendation from the Idaho- Eastern Oregon Potato Committee (Committee) to increase the assessment rate established for the 2024-2025 fiscal period and subsequent fiscal periods from $0.002 to $0.003 per hundredweight of potatoes handled under the marketing order. The assessment rate will remain in effect indefinitely unless modified, suspended, or terminated.
Learn More🍉USDA Proposes Realignment of Watermelon Research and Promotion Board
This proposed rule invites comments on realigning the representation on the National Watermelon Promotion Board (Board) prescribed in the Watermelon Research and Promotion Plan (Plan) by adjusting several production districts and reducing the number of importers on the Board. This action would contribute to effective administration of the program.
Learn More🌰Decreased Assessment Rate for Pistachios in Key Producing States
This final rule implements a recommendation from the Administrative Committee for Pistachios (Committee) to decrease the assessment rate established for the 2024-2025 and subsequent production years from $0.0007 to $0.0003 per pound of assessable pistachios handled under the marketing order. The assessment rate will remain in effect indefinitely unless modified, suspended, or terminated.
Learn More🍐Increased Assessment Rate for Fresh Pears in Oregon and Washington
This final rule implements a recommendation from the Fresh Pear Committee (Committee) to increase the assessment rate established for the 2024-2025 and subsequent fiscal periods from $0.468 to $0.516 per 44-pound standard box or equivalent for fresh "summer/fall" pears and fresh "winter" pears grown in Oregon and Washington. The assessment rate will remain in effect indefinitely unless modified, suspended, or terminated.
Learn More🌴Proposed Decrease in Assessment Rate for California Dates
This proposed rule would implement a recommendation from the California Date Administrative Committee (Committee) to decrease the assessment rate established for the 2024-2025 and subsequent crop years from $0.15 to $0.05 per hundredweight for domestic dates produced or packed in Riverside County, California. The proposed assessment rate would remain in effect indefinitely unless modified, suspended, or terminated.
Learn More🍊Texas Citrus Industry Sees Assessment Rate Increase for 2024-2025
This final rule implements a recommendation from the Texas Valley Citrus Committee (Committee) to increase the assessment rate established for the 2024-2025 and subsequent fiscal periods from $0.03 to $0.04 per 7/10-bushel carton or equivalent of oranges and grapefruit grown in Texas. The assessment rate will remain in effect indefinitely unless modified, suspended, or terminated.
Learn More🎄Proposed Changes to Christmas Tree Promotion Order Impacting Businesses
This proposal invites comments on changes to the Christmas Tree Promotion, Research, and Information Order (Order). These changes include amending the Board's name from "Christmas Tree Promotion Board" to "Real Christmas Tree Board", increasing the administrative expenses cap from 10 to 15 percent, allowing importers to request refunds of assessments paid on trees that were shipped to the United States but were not sold, and increasing the mandatory period to maintain books and records relating to the Order. Many of these changes are administrative in nature. This action would also make several non- substantive clarifications and changes to modernize the Board's procedures.
Learn More🌿Increase in Native Spearmint Oil Salable Quantity and Allotment
This final rule implements a recommendation from the Far West Spearmint Oil Administrative Committee (Committee) to revise the quantity of Class 3 (Native) spearmint oil that handlers may purchase from, or handle on behalf of, producers in Washington, Idaho, and Oregon and parts of Nevada and Utah (Far West) for the 2024-2025 marketing year, which began on June 1, 2024. This action increases the 2024-2025 marketing year Native spearmint oil salable quantity from 678,980 pounds to 731,220 pounds, and the allotment percentage from 26 percent to 28 percent.
Learn More📦USDA Announces Referendum on Paper Packaging Promotion Order
This document directs that a referendum be conducted among eligible domestic manufacturers and importers of paper and paper-based packaging to determine whether they favor continuance of the Agricultural Marketing Service's (AMS) regulations regarding a national paper and paper-based packaging research and promotion program. AMS is also announcing an immediate moratorium on the collection of assessments under the program.
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