Agricultural Marketing Service August 10, 2007 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

This decision proposes amending the marketing agreement and order (order) for onions grown in South Texas, and provides growers with the opportunity to vote in a referendum to determine if they favor the changes. The amendments are based on those proposed by the South Texas Onion Committee (committee), which is responsible for local administration of the order. The amendments include: Adding authority to the order to establish supplemental assessment rates on specified containers of onions; authorizing interest and late payment charges on assessments not paid within a prescribed time period; and authorizing the committee to engage in marketing promotion and paid advertising activities. Two additional amendments were proposed by the Department of Agriculture (USDA): Requiring that a continuance referendum be conducted every six years to determine grower support for the order; and, limiting the number of consecutive terms of office a member can serve on the committee. The proposed amendments are intended to improve the operation and functioning of the South Texas onion marketing order program.