USDA proposed rule would raise assessment rate for Florida-grown tomatoes

The USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service has issued a proposed rule to raise the assessment rate for tomatoes grown in Florida from 2.5 cents to 3.5 cents per 25-pound carton.

The rule is in response to a Florida Tomato Committee recommendation, according to a Federal Register notice.

The rate would be established for the 2023-24 fiscal period and subsequent fiscal periods, according to the notice.

The assessment rate increase would allow the Florida Tomato Committee, which recommended the increase in a meeting last September, to replenish and maintain its financial reserves at its desired level of $250,000, according to the notice.

The committee projects handler receipts of approximately 22 million 25-pound containers or equivalent  of assessable Florida tomatoes for the 2023-2024 fiscal period, an increase from the 21,815,350 containers handled for the 2022-2023 fiscal period.

There are 38 handlers of Florida tomatoes subject to the order and approximately 50 producers of Florida tomatoes in the production area, the notice said.

Comments on the proposal can be submitted until April 8 via email to [email protected] or online at regulations.gov.