Imposition of assessment; rate; liability

There is hereby levied and imposed upon any sale, delivery or use of sweet potatoes produced within the State an assessment at the rate of $0.02 for each bushel sold for marketing as fresh sweet potatoes and $0.02 per bushel for those sold for processing.

The $0.02 per bushel levied on those sweet potatoes marketed as fresh sweet potatoes shall be paid by the distributor of sweet potatoes who buys or receives on consignment from the grower.

A farmer's market or co-operative marketing association shall deduct and collect from the amount paid to the growers selling fresh market sweet potatoes, the assessment of $0.02 per bushel provided by this act.

The $0.02 per bushel levied on sweet potatoes sold for processing shall be deducted from payments to growers by the processor or distributor who pays the grower for the sweet potatoes.

If a grower-distributor makes direct sales of sweet potatoes for either fresh market or processing to retail stores, roadstands or out-of-State receivers, so that the assessment is not deducted and submitted for him, it becomes his responsibility to submit directly the assessment on such sweet potatoes.

The liability for, and the incidence of the assessment on sweet potatoes is hereby declared to be a levy on the grower but this provision shall in no way affect the method of collection of such assessments as provided by this act.

Nothing in this act shall require the payment of such assessment more than once on any sweet potatoes sold, delivered or used.

L.1966, c. 283, s. 3.