AMS Boosts Fees for Farmers' Crop Inspection Services
Published Date: 4/29/2025
Notice
Summary
The Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) is updating its 2025/2026 fees for grading, inspecting, and certifying agricultural products like meat, fruits, dairy, and cotton. Some fees will go up to cover rising costs, while others stay the same. These new rates kick in at the start of the crop or fiscal year, with warehouse service fees also adjusting starting October 1, 2025.
Analyzed Economic Effects
3 provisions identified: 1 benefits, 2 costs, 0 mixed.
Certain AMS User Fees Will Rise
AMS is increasing some voluntary user fees for grading, inspection, certification, auditing, and laboratory services for commodities such as meat and poultry, fruits and vegetables, eggs, dairy, rice, cotton, and tobacco for the 2025/2026 period to cover rising operational costs.
Some AMS Fees Remain Unchanged
For 2025/2026, AMS will keep certain user fee rates unchanged where current rates are sufficient to cover the costs of providing the service, so some businesses will not see fee increases.
Warehouse Fees Adjusted Oct 1, 2025
AMS will change the fees charged to warehouse operators under the U.S. Warehouse Act for fiscal year 2026 (beginning October 1, 2025), including license action fees, service license fees, inspection fees, and annual user fees; increases will be limited to covering inflationary costs only.
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