Inspection & Regulatory Services 

 James M. Cassidy 



Among our many regulatory services, of major importance is the Federal- 

 State Inspection Service. For 63 continuous years all state agriculture 

 departments in the nation have cooperated with the U.S.D.A. in providing 

 shipping point fruit and vegetable inspections for their own states' farm 

 products. 



This inspection service is offered to any financially interested parties 

 within the Commonwealth on a fee basis and thus the program becomes self- 

 sustaining. All fees are retained by the Commonwealth except for a very small 

 administrative cost retained by the U.S.D.A. 



For many years this Inspection Service in Massachusetts, through strict 

 adherence to grades and other essential data, has done much to upgrade the 

 quality, condition and grade of the final product. Massachusetts leads the 

 world in the production of cranberries and many shipments of this product 

 carry a Federal-State certificate. 



By law all apples must be inspected for export and our inspection service 

 has been instrumental in helping Bay State farmers maintain this lucrative 

 market. The inspection service has aided in developing new methods of transportation, 

 especially in the export field. 



The greatest demand for our inspection service again has been on the shipment 

 of export apples, mainly to the United Kingdom. Apples are also inspected for 

 shipment to California where the demand has been increasing each year, and for 

 military purchases. 



The export apple inspection is of major importance, due primarily to the 

 demand and acceptance of controlled atmosphere stored apples, our valuable Mcintosh 

 variety and our quality packs. Mcintosh apples cannot be grown successfully in 

 European countries. The controlled atmosphere method of storing apples greatly 

 lengthens the marketing season and allows shipment of apples in good condition 

 well into June, thus providing a more orderly marketing season for the entire 

 apple indusry. 



Shipping point inspections are also made in wholesale lots of potatoes, 

 onions and cranberries and apples are inspected at a major processing plant. 



The revenue generated by this service is in direct proportion to the size 

 of the agricultural crop and since our apple harvest was severely restricted 

 due to the whims of nature, the total inspection revenue was reduced over last 

 season. 



Inspections are also made and samples drawn at wholesale markets and retail 

 stores in order to insure the correct and honest labeling and grading of apples, 

 potatoes, agriculture seed, vegetable, flower, lawn seed, animal feed, pet food, 

 specialty fertilizer, agricultural fertilizers and limestone. 



All of these various farm products are registerd on an annual or semi-annual 

 basis, and proper fees, penalties and taxes are collected. 



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