Assessment Rate for California Dates Cut to Five Cents per Hundredweight

This final rule from the USDA lowers the mandatory fee that date handlers in Riverside County, California, must pay to fund a local marketing program. The rate drops from fifteen cents to five cents per hundredweight of dates handled.

Why it matters: The change is a routine budget adjustment, not a shift in how dates are marketed or regulated. The program’s reserve fund grew larger than the five-year average of its annual expenses, which the governing order does not allow. Lowering the fee stops the fund from growing further while still covering the committee’s projected $89,410 in operating costs for the year. The program will continue to operate normally under the new rate.

Who it affects

• Handlers of domestic dates produced or packed in Riverside County, California

---

The Agricultural Marketing Service published this final rule in the Federal Register; handlers and producers should review the full document for exact compliance dates and budget details before relying on it.

Agency: Agriculture Department, Agricultural Marketing Service
Source: Federal Register — read the official document