Agricultural Marketing Service February 23, 2010 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

This action withdraws a proposed rule published in the Federal Register on July 27, 2009 (74 FR 36955), to amend the Blueberry Promotion, Research, and Information Order (Order) by increasing the assessment rate on producers and importers who produce or import more than 2,000 pounds of highbush blueberries annually from $12 to $24 per ton. The Order is administered by the U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council (Council). Assessments are used by the Council to fund a nationally coordinated program of research, development, advertising, and promotion of highbush blueberries in the marketplace. The Council recommended increasing the assessment rate to expand its promotional and research activities to bridge the potential gap between demand and future supply. Several comments were received in opposition to the proposed increase in assessment rate. Accordingly, based upon comments received, the proposed rule is being withdrawn.

The purpose of this notice is to notify all interested parties that the Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) will hold a Fruit and Vegetable Industry Advisory Committee (Committee) meeting that is open to the public. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) established the Committee to examine the full spectrum of issues faced by the fruit and vegetable industry and to provide suggestions and ideas to the Secretary of Agriculture on how USDA can tailor its programs to meet the fruit and vegetable industry's needs. This notice sets forth the schedule and location for the meeting.