C. Area Covered by a Marketing Agreement or Marketing 

 Order . 



There is no specified area which must be included under 

 a marketing agreement or marketing order, but the 

 Act requires that any marketing agreement or marketing 

 order be limited to the smallest regional production area 

 practicable. 



OPERATING A MARKETING ORDER PROGRAM 



A. Administrative Committees . 



Every marketing order program for fruits and vegetables 

 is operated by an administrative committee. The com- 

 mittee is made up of growers, or growers and handlers, 

 who are nominated by the industry and appointed by the 

 Secretary of Agriculture. Their terms of office, powers, 

 duties, and obligations are spelled out in the marketing 

 order. 



The committee operates the program at the industry 

 level. In addition to initiating recommendations for regu- 

 lations to be issued under the order, the committee may 

 undertake other activities for the benefit of the industry 

 so long as they are in accord with the marketing order 

 provisions. 



B. Financing a Marketing Order Program. 



The money for local administration of a marketing order 

 program comes from assessments on handlers. This 

 is specified in the Act. Each year the administrative 

 committee recommends a budget and a proposed rate 

 of assessment to the Secretary of Agriculture. The 

 Secretary fixes the amount the committee may spend 

 and the assessment rate on handlers. The assessment 

 is in terms of so much per box, bag, ton, car, or other 

 unit of commodity handled. The committee is responsible 

 for all expenditures, and is required to keep accurate 

 books and records. Annual audits of the books are 

 required. 



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