[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 128 (Tuesday, September 28, 1999)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1975]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




INTRODUCING THE HASS AVOCADO PROMOTION, RESEARCH AND INFORMATION ACT OF 
                                  1999

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. KEN CALVERT

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                      Tuesday, September 28, 1999

  Mr. CALVERT. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to introduce the Hass Avocado 
Promotion, Research & Information Act of 1999. This legislation will 
provide California's 6,000 avocado growers--who produce all of the Hass 
avocados in the United States--with a new self-help mechanism to 
enhance their national marketing efforts.
  The Hass Avocado Promotion Act will allow avocado growers to fund and 
operate a coordinated marketing effort to expand domestic and foreign 
markets. The maintenance and expansion of existing markets, and the 
development of new markets, is critical to preserving and strengthening 
the economic viability of the domestic Hass avocado industry.
  This legislation will not be funded by taxpayer dollars--the bill 
would simply create a mechanism for Hass avocado growers to assess 
themselves. In addition, importers of Hass avocados into the United 
States would be assessed. Thus, importers would pay their fair share in 
helping to expand the consumer market that they share with domestic 
growers. At present, the national marketing of avocados is paid 
entirely by California avocado growers through assessments collected by 
the California Avocado Commission. Therefore, this bill offers a win-
win proposition for domestic growers and importers to work together to 
increase the market for avocados and avocado products.
  The bill contains an up-front referendum, giving avocado growers a 
voting process to formally decide whether to implement this new 
national promotion program. In this referendum, growers and importers 
will determine whether or not they choose to assess themselves 2.5 
cents per pound to fund a national promotion program. The funds 
generated will be administered by an 11-member Hass Avocado Board that 
would be comprised of domestic grower and importer representatives.
  I am happy to offer this bipartisan legislation, with my colleague 
from the Agriculture Committee, Representative Condit, aimed at helping 
our Hass avocado producers and importers help themselves.
  I ask my colleagues for their support in advancing this vital 
legislation for Hass avocado growers and California agriculture.

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