USDA Proposes Organic Exemption

WASHINGTON - Apr 234/04 - SNS -- The USDA's Agricultural Marketing Service is proposing amendments to 16 commodity research and promotion programs which would exempt producers and marketers of solely 100% organic products from paying commodity promotion assessments.

Details of the proposed exemption will appear in the Federal Register on April 26.

The 2002 Farm Bill directed USDA to issue regulations exempting any person who produces and markets solely 100% organic products and who does not produce any conventional or non-organic products from paying assessments under a commodity promotion law.

Currently, national research and promotion programs exist for blueberries, beef, cotton, dairy, eggs, fluid milk, Hass avocados, honey, lamb, mushrooms, peanuts, popcorn, pork, potatoes, soybeans, and watermelons. These programs are industry-funded and operated and are charged with creating and expanding markets for the agricultural commodities they represent.

USDA oversees the programs, including review of budgets, plans, and projects. Depending on the program, producers, handlers, first handlers, processors, importers, exporters, feeders, and seed stock producers pay assessments to these commodity boards to fund the programs.

Comments are being solicited from interested parties for 30 days and may be sent to the following addresses: Angela C. Snyder, Office of the Deputy Administrator, Poultry Programs, AMS, USDA, 1400 Independence Avenue, S.W., STOP 0256, Room 3932-South, Washington, D.C. 20250-0256.