Increased Assessment Rate for Domestically Produced Peanuts Handled By Persons Not Subject to Peanut Marketing Agreement No. 146 and for Marketing Agreement No. 146; Regulating the Quality of Domestically Produced Peanuts

The Department of Agriculture (Department) is adopting as a final rule, without change, the provisions of an interim final rule that increased the administrative assessment rate under Marketing Agreement 146 (agreement) for the 1995-96 crop year. Authorization of the increase in the administrative assessment rate enabled the Peanut Administrative Committee (Committee) to collect sufficient funds to pay expenses for the remainder of the year. Funds to administer this program are derived from assessments on handlers who have signed the agreement. Public Law 103-66 requires the Department to impose an administrative assessment on farmers' stock peanuts received or acquired by handlers who are not signatory (non-signatory handlers) to the agreement. Therefore, the increase in the assessment rate under the agreement must be applied to all non-signatory handlers.