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statement of Kenneth C. Clayton, Acting Administrator 



Agricultural Marketing Service 



United States Department of Agriculture 



before the 



Subcommittee on Livestock 



House Committee on Agriculture 



on H.R. 1637 



September 14, 1993 



Good afternoon, Mr. Chairman and Members of the Committee. 

 I appreciate this opportunity to appear before your Committee to 

 discuss H.R. 1637, the Egg Research and Consumer Information Act 

 Amendments of 1993. Accompanying me today is Michael Holbrook, 

 Director of the Poultry Division of the Agricultural Marketing 

 Service (AMS) . 



The Department has no objection to the enactment of 

 H.R. 1637 if amended as outlined in our testimony. 



H.R. 1637, if enacted, will amend the Egg Research and 

 Consumer Information Act (the Act) to increase the current 

 exemption level from assessments under the Act from 30,000 laying 

 hens to 50,000 laying hens. This change, if effected, would 

 result in an estimated 127 fewer producers being subjected to the 

 assessment provision of the Act representing approximately 2 

 percent of the current total income or about $150,000 annually. 

 The bill would increase the current 10 cent cap to 30 cents per 

 case, and authorize the American Egg Board to request a change in 

 the assessment rate if it determines, through scientific studies, 

 marketing analyses or other con.petent evidence, that a change in 

 the assessment rate is necessary to achieve the policy goals of 

 the Act. Any increase in the assessment, which we would 



