Establishment of a U.S. Honey Producer Research, Promotion, and Consumer Information Order

요약

This proposed rule would establish a new U.S. honey producer funded research and promotion program under the Commodity Promotion, Research, and Information Act of 1996 (1996 Act). The proposed U.S. Honey Producer Research, Promotion and Consumer Information Order (Proposed U.S. Producer Order) was submitted to the Department of Agriculture (Department) by the American Honey Producers Association (AHPA). The Department is conducting an initial referendum to ascertain whether the persons to be covered by and assessed under the Proposed U.S. Producer Order favor the Order prior to it going into effect. The Proposed U.S. Producer Order would provide that producers pay an assessment to the U.S. Honey Producer Board (Proposed Board) at the rate of $0.02 cents per pound of U.S. honey produced and shall only be imposed on U.S. producers. A producer who produces less than 100,000 pounds of U.S. honey per year would be eligible for a certificate of exemption. The Proposed U.S. Producer Order would be implemented if it is approved by a majority of the producers voting in the referendum, which also represent a majority of the volume of U.S. honey produced during the representative period by th