AMS sets rates for voluntary fruits, vegetables and specialty crops services

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) on April 29 established 2019 rates it will charge for voluntary grading, inspection, certification, verification and laboratory services for a variety of agricultural commodities – including fruits, vegetables and specialty crops.

Agricultural businesses seek out these services to ensure the quality and availability of wholesome food for consumers across the country. The new rates for these services take effect starting October 1, 2019 (Fiscal Year 2020). 

The new annual rates have been published in a Federal Register notice. The rates are intended to cover costs incurred by AMS to provide these services and to maintain operating reserves for each program as mandated by Congress. 

On Nov. 13, 2014, the USDA published a final rule in the Federal Register that established standardized formulas for calculating the fees charged by AMS user-funded programs (79 FR 67313). Since then, AMS has published the user fee rates through a unified process for setting fees across all of its voluntary user fee programs.

Current rates are on the AMS website. 

Additional information is available on the Specialty Crops Program webpage: https://www.ams.usda.gov/about-ams/programs-offices/specialty-crops-program