The Washington State Fruit Commission’s budget for 2006-2007 reflects a 30 percent increase in foreign market program funds and a larger cherry crop. But the $5 million budget is less than the previous year’s budget due to pear assessments no longer being funneled through the commission. Reorganization last year of federal pear marketing orders changed the procedure for collection of pear assessments. Now, pear industry groups collect all pear-related assessments, including those for fresh and processed Bartletts that the Fruit Commission earlier received. The proposed budget, submitted to the state’s Department of Agriculture for approval, is based on a 125,000-ton […]