USDA Grading Fee Increase

WASHINGTON - Mar 1/05 - SNS -- The USDA wants to increase fees for certain grading services for eggs, poultry and rabbits.

The proposal would raise the basic hourly rate for resident service, or work of a grader with a regular tour of duty at a plant, from the current $34.36 to $36.36. In addition, the proposal would raise the basic hourly rate for fee service, or work on an intermittent, as-needed basis, from the current $60.00 to $65.00 for regular hours and from $69.32 to $75.12 for weekend and holiday work.

Additionally, for plants using resident service, the administrative fee for USDA supervision and for other overhead expenses will increase from 4.8 cents to 5.1 cents per case of shell eggs and from .037 cents to .039 cents per pound of poultry handled. For poultry and eggs, the maximum monthly administrative charge that covers overhead costs would be increased from $2,755 to $2,875. The minimum administrative fee for grading poultry, eggs, and rabbits will remain unchanged at $260 per monthly billing period.

These grading services are made available upon request and paid for by the users. Current fees have been in effect since Jan. 1, 2004.

The proposed grading fee increases will be published in the Federal Register on March 1, 2005. Comments must be received in the office of David Bowden, Jr., Chief, Standardization Branch, Poultry Programs, AMS, USDA, STOP 0259, room 3944-S, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, D.C. 20250, on or before March 31, 2005. Comments may also be faxed to (202) 690-0941. The proposal may be viewed electronically at http://www.ams.usda.gov/poultry/regulations.