USDA Proposes Creation of U.S. Honey Producer Board
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) has issued a proposed rule and referendum procedures that would establish “a new U.S. honey producer funded research and promotion program” in accordance with a U.S. Honey Producer Research, Promotion and Consumer Information Order submitted May 24, 2007, by the American Honey Producers Association (AHPA). Representing
more than 550 domestic operators, AHPA has called for the implementation of a U.S. Honey Producers Board to address industry issues “such as the drastic decline in the numbers of the honeybee due to (1) natural pests and diseases that kill or weaken the honeybee; (2) record droughts in the mid-west [sic] that have destroyed the plants and flowers honeybees use to gather pollen, and (3) the overall dramatic decrease in demand for U.S. honey.” To finance this initiative, AMS would require first handlers who produce more than 100,000 pounds of honey annually to collect and remit fees of $0.02 per pound of honey.
“Without an active, vibrant domestic honey industry, many other agricultural commodities may suffer due to the loss of essential pollination services that the U.S. honey industry provides,” states AMS in the proposed rule. The agency has requested comments by September 14, 2009. See Federal Register, July 14, 2009.
