10/16/07 Assessment Rate Increase Part 2

Assessment Rate Increase Part 2. I'm Greg Martin with today's Fruit Grower Report. Yesterday we talked with Dave Carlson, President of the Washington State Apple Commission on a proposed 1-cent per box increase to the current assessment rate of 3.5 cents. Carlson says it's not a permanent increase. CARLSON: After the August first crop estimate is out and considering numerous different factors of budget needs and whether money was well spent the previous year, they could set the assessment level somewhere between 3.5 and 4.5 cents for that one year only. The following August if they took no action it would automatically revert back to the base of 3.5 cents. Carlson says they really want to leave the money in the producer's pockets unless there is a need for the additional funds. CARLSON: They're asking growers what their response is, what they would like to do whether they would like to implement this, whether they would rather cut back on some programs in the future barring that we have enough income at the present level but basically they're not proposing this they're proposing it as an alternative and leaving it up to the growers that are paying the bills to decide what direction they want to go. Carlson gives an example of what an increase would be for producers. CARLSON: Let's say on 80 acres they might be packing they might be packing 150-thousand boxes; 150-thousand at one cent I think equates to 15-hundred dollars. For more information on the upcoming input meetings, contact the Washington State Apple Commission. That's today's Fruit Grower Report. I'm Greg Martin on the Northwest Ag Information Network.