| (a) All citrus producers within a pest management zone
are required to participate in the suppression program approved by
producers in a referendum for that zone.
(b) Participation in the suppression program includes:
(1) timely reporting to the Corporation, as specified
in subsection (c) or (d) of this section, of all information regarding
all commercial and noncommercial citrus and of all citrus grown for
ornamental, research, or any other purposes as provided in §80.023
of the Code;
(2) payment of the assessment in the amount and manner
established and approved for that pest management zone; and
(3) compliance with any rules or procedures established
by the Department or the Corporation for implementation of the suppression
program in that pest management zone.
(c) Reporting deadlines.
(1) All acreage planted with citrus and the location
of such acreage in an active pest management zone, regardless of which
pest management zone, must be reported annually to the Corporation
by the producer no later than the reporting date established for each
pest management zone.
(2) The dates by which citrus acreage and location
of such acreage in an active pest management zone must be reported
by December 15 of each year.
(3) The citrus acreage and location of such acreage
required to be reported by paragraph (1) of this subsection may be
reported to the Department rather than the Corporation.
(d) The Corporation may send a written inquiry directly
to a producer who has previously failed to report citrus acreage or
location planted within a then-active pest management zone or to a
producer who the Corporation has probable cause to believe has planted
citrus in an active zone without reporting the acreage or location
of such citrus to the Corporation. The written inquiry shall be sent
by certified mail and shall require that the recipient producer certify
in writing, on a form supplied by the Corporation, either the number
of acres and location of each tract of citrus the producer has planted
within an active pest management zone for the current producing season
or that no acres of citrus are planted in an active pest management
zone for the current producing season. The form must be returned within
10 days of receipt by the producer. After delivery or refusal of delivery
of the written inquiry, the producer's obligation to report citrus
acreage and location may be satisfied only by return of the certification
required by this subsection. Failure to return the required certification
or refusal of delivery of the written inquiry may result in the assessment
of an administrative penalty, which shall not relieve the producer
of the requirement to submit the certification required by this subsection.
The Corporation may send out an additional written inquiry upon refusal
of delivery of a previous written inquiry or if the Corporation considers
a response to a previous written inquiry inadequate. Each written
inquiry mailed under this subsection may serve as the basis for a
separate violation.
(e) Falsely reporting the number of acres or location
of citrus under any provision of this section may result in the assessment
of an administrative penalty.
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