Apricots Grown in Designated Counties in Washington; Decreased Assessment Rate

Résumé

The Department of Agriculture is adopting, as a final rule, without change, an interim rule that implemented a recommendation from the Washington Apricot Marketing Committee (Committee) to decrease the assessment rate from $1.50 to $0.75 per ton of Washington apricots handled for the 2015-2016 and subsequent fiscal periods. The Committee locally administers the marketing order and is comprised of apricot producers and handlers operating within designated counties in Washington. The interim rule was necessary to allow the Committee to reduce its financial reserve while still providing adequate funding to meet program expenses.