Agricultural Marketing Service May 19, 2009 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

This document invites written comments on proposed amendments to the Dairy Promotion and Research Order. This proposed action is pursuant to the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 (2002 Farm Bill) and the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 (2008 Farm Bill). The 2002 Farm Bill mandates that the Dairy Promotion and Research Order be amended to implement an assessment on imported dairy products to fund promotion and research. The 2008 Farm Bill specifies a mandatory assessment rate of 7.5 cents per hundredweight of milk, or equivalent thereof, on dairy products imported into the United States. This proposed rule, in accordance with the 2008 Farm Bill, amends the term ``United States'' in the Dairy Production Stabilization Act of 1983 (7 U.S.C. 4501-4514, as amended) to mean all States, the District of Columbia, and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. Producers in these areas will be assessed 15 cents per hundredweight for all milk produced and marketed.