Michigan’s tree fruit industry proposes new Tree Fruit Commission
The Michigan tree fruit industry has created this Commission in response to a decline in resources. Over the past 10 years, Michigan’s fruit research stations have experienced a 50 percent loss of operating budgets. The Michigan Tree Fruit Commission is an innovative way to support ongoing research and Extension efforts to address inadequate funding that threatens to further regress research station infrastructure.
The Michigan Tree Fruit Commission is separate from other established assessments for apples, cherries, peaches and plums. These new dollars would not replace the commodity-assessed funds that are used to support current production and promotion research. The Michigan Tree Fruit Commission would assess growers on a sliding scale up to the following recommended maximum rates:
Apples: up to $0.04/CWT – $0.0004 per pound
Cherries: up to $2.50/TON – $0.00125 per pound
Peaches: up to $2.00/TON – $0.001 per pound
Plums: up to $4.5/TON – $0.00225 per pound
If the Michigan Tree Fruit Commission is voted in, farms will pay according to yields of the tree fruit crops mentioned above. A board comprised of growers representing all fruit-growing regions of the state will allocate funds based on prioritization of state, regional and local needs that are geared toward supporting infrastructure of fruit research stations, applied research programs and educational programs.
For more information, visit www.msue.msu.edu.
