Notice: Marketing Order for Pecans

The recent referendum, which ended March 30, resulted in the required number of producers voting in favor of approving the major amendment to the Marketing Order for Pecans. The major amendment reads:

            472-1-.09 Method of Finance, Amended

• Projects, undertakings and expense incurred under this Order shall be financed by an assessment and levy of not more than one cent per pound on in-shell pecans produced in this state for sale. The assessment and levy shall be against the affected producers of pecans. Upon approval of this requisite number of affected producers and effective as of Aug. 1, 2014, a levy assessment of one cent per pound on in-shell pecans is hereby made. Such levy shall continue of force and effect until this Order is suspended or superseded as provided by law and during the time this order remains of force and effect.

Producers are also asked to note the change in the following:

            472-1-.10 Method of Collection

• The levy and assessment provided by this Order shall be collected from affected producers. As aid in such collection, buyers, handlers, distributors, sales agents and processors shall deduce amount of such levy and assessment from each payment made to the affected producer and they all remit the same to the Commissioner of Agriculture for the account of the producer. The first handler will collect and remit the one cent per pound assessment on all pecans purchased from affected producers.

Therefore, beginning Aug. 1, 2014, all in-shell pecans grown by affected producers in Georgia for sale will be assessed at a rate of one cent per pound. Assessment payments should continue to be sent to the Georgia Agricultural Commodity Commission for Pecans, and be addressed as follows: 19 MLK Jr. Drive SW, Room 324, Atlanta, GA 30334.