The USDA has increased the assessment for the Florida Tomato Committee, effective Aug. 2.
The rule implements a recommendation from the Florida Tomato Committee to increase the assessment rate established for the 2023-2024 and subsequent fiscal periods from 2.5 cents to 3.5 cents per 25-pound container of tomatoes or equivalent. The 2.5 cents per carton rate had been in place since 2017-18, according to a Federal Register notice.
The committee met on Sept. 20, last year and unanimously recommended 2023-24 fiscal period expenditures of $1.15 million and an assessment rate of 3.5 cents per 25-pound container or equivalent of Florida tomatoes handled for the 2023-24 and subsequent years.
The committee projects handler receipts of approximately 22 million 25-pound containers or the equivalent of assessable Florida tomatoes for the 2023-24 fiscal period, an increase from the 21.8 million containers handled for the 2022-2023 fiscal period, the notice said.
There are 38 handlers of Florida tomatoes subject to regulation under the order and approximately 50 producers of Florida tomatoes in the production area, the notice said.
