Domestic Dates Produced or Packed in Riverside County, CA; Increased Assessment Rate

This rule increases the assessment rate established for the California Date Administrative Committee (committee) for the 2004-05 and subsequent crop years from $0.75 to $0.85 per hundredweight of dates handled. The committee locally administers the marketing order which regulates the handling of dates produced or packed in Riverside County, California. Authorization to assess date handlers enables the committee to incur expenses that are reasonable and necessary to administer the program. The committee recommended increasing the assessment rate because additional revenues are needed to fund program operations. The crop year begins October 1 and ends September 30. The assessment rate will remain in effect indefinitely unless modified, suspended, or terminated.