The U.S. Department of Agriculture is amending the Florida Tomato Marketing Order to reduce membership of the Florida Tomato Committee from 12 to 10, extend the length of the terms of office from one to two years, and reduce the quorum requirements from eight to six. Having a smaller membership will enable the committee to ensure a more efficient flow of business.
The committee unanimously recommended this amendment and a majority of growers favored it in a referendum conducted May 11 through June 1, 2020.
The final rule for this action was published in the Federal Register on Nov. 16, 2020. The rule will be effective on Dec. 16, 2020.
More information about federal marketing orders is available under Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) Specialty Crops Marketing Orders and Agreements webpage or by contacting the Marketing Order and Agreement Division at (202) 720-2491.
Authorized by the Agricultural Marketing Agreement Act of 1937, marketing orders are industry-driven programs that help producers and handlers achieve marketing success by leveraging their own funds to design and execute programs that they would not be able to do individually. AMS provides oversight to 29 fruit vegetable and specialty crops marketing orders, which helps ensure fiscal accountability and program integrity.
