Grower vote ends tomato commission
Grower vote ends tomato commission
The California Tomato Commission, which has not been in full operation since early spring, will suspend all operations early next year because an overwhelming majority of producers approved suspension in a recent referendum vote.
The California Department of Food & Agriculture announced Aug. 16 that assessments would continue to be collected through the remainder of the 2007-08 season but that the commission will close its doors by the Feb. 29, 2008, statutory deadline.
The commission has not actually conducted any activities since a CDFA audit this spring resulted in the suspension of the staff. The operation of the commission was shifted to Monfort & Associates, a Fresno, CA-based company that manages a number of fresh produce industry commodity research programs.
Jerry Munson, president of Monfort, told The Produce News Aug. 21 that his office has been sending out invoices, collecting assessments and sending bills up to CDFA for approval for payment. He said that research and promotion programs are no longer being funded or conducted on behalf of the commission, "but we are still paying bills for last year's research."
In addition, Mr. Munson said that the commission had legal bills to pay, presumably for the defense it mounted to remain in business.
Gonzales Packing in Gonzales, CA, which has been waging a battle against the commission for several years, has not paid its assessment for two-and-a- half years and sued the commission as well as its president and the CDFA, claiming that the commission was not operating in the best interest of the entire industry and that it was misusing its funds. This action led to the audit, which was highly critical of the commission's staff and the way the commission conducted its business.
Melanie Horwath of Gonzales Packing said that the audit report did vindicate Gonzales Packing's position, but she said that it was "not a forensic audit" and only scratched the surface of what she called "corrupt behavior."
Ms. Horwath said that the official demise of the California Tomato Commission would not end her company's lawsuits. Those cases are winding through the courts, where Ms. Horwath said there have been some ups and downs. But she vowed to continue the legal fight.
She said that there has been no action by CDFA to force Gonzales to pay its assessment.
The Gonzales Packing executive indicated that she did not expect there to be such a legal case because CDFA would have to go to court and defend the activities of the commission and its staff.
In the referendum, more than 94 percent of the volume represented by both handlers and producers voted in favor of suspension.
The California Department of Food & Agriculture announced Aug. 16 that assessments would continue to be collected through the remainder of the 2007-08 season but that the commission will close its doors by the Feb. 29, 2008, statutory deadline.
The commission has not actually conducted any activities since a CDFA audit this spring resulted in the suspension of the staff. The operation of the commission was shifted to Monfort & Associates, a Fresno, CA-based company that manages a number of fresh produce industry commodity research programs.
Jerry Munson, president of Monfort, told The Produce News Aug. 21 that his office has been sending out invoices, collecting assessments and sending bills up to CDFA for approval for payment. He said that research and promotion programs are no longer being funded or conducted on behalf of the commission, "but we are still paying bills for last year's research."
In addition, Mr. Munson said that the commission had legal bills to pay, presumably for the defense it mounted to remain in business.
Gonzales Packing in Gonzales, CA, which has been waging a battle against the commission for several years, has not paid its assessment for two-and-a- half years and sued the commission as well as its president and the CDFA, claiming that the commission was not operating in the best interest of the entire industry and that it was misusing its funds. This action led to the audit, which was highly critical of the commission's staff and the way the commission conducted its business.
Melanie Horwath of Gonzales Packing said that the audit report did vindicate Gonzales Packing's position, but she said that it was "not a forensic audit" and only scratched the surface of what she called "corrupt behavior."
Ms. Horwath said that the official demise of the California Tomato Commission would not end her company's lawsuits. Those cases are winding through the courts, where Ms. Horwath said there have been some ups and downs. But she vowed to continue the legal fight.
She said that there has been no action by CDFA to force Gonzales to pay its assessment.
The Gonzales Packing executive indicated that she did not expect there to be such a legal case because CDFA would have to go to court and defend the activities of the commission and its staff.
In the referendum, more than 94 percent of the volume represented by both handlers and producers voted in favor of suspension.
