(a) There shall be paid by each apple producer to the Commissioner of Agriculture an assessment sufficient to cover the costs in the budget for implementation of the apple market order. The amount of the assessment shall be determined by the commissioner except that any assessment in excess of six cents per first sale unit shall be approved by a referendum conducted in accordance with the provisions of subsection (c) of § 22-54q. The initial one thousand first sale units of any apple producer in each market season shall be exempt from the assessment.

(b) Each apple producer subject to the assessment shall submit a return to the commissioner either annually on the fifteenth day of each November or quarterly on the fifteenth day of each November, February, May and August. The amount due shall be based on the number of apples sold or removed from storage on or before the last day of the month preceding the month the assessment is due. If the apple producer elects to submit a return annually he shall calculate the amount due by considering seventy-five per cent of his total harvest to be first sale units. The commissioner may require a producer to submit additional documentation regarding the number of first sale units in order to ensure that the assessment is proper. Any apple producer who fails to pay the assessment required under this section may be assessed a civil penalty of not more than one thousand dollars for each day during which such nonpayment continues after receipt of an assessment under this subsection.

(c) Any revenues received during any marketing season and not expended may be paid by the commissioner at the end of the marketing season on a pro-rata basis to those apple producers who paid the assessment or may be carried over to the next marketing season as the commissioner deems necessary.

(d) Any broker, distributor or handler who, at the request of the producer, deducts the amount of the assessment due on the first sale units sold or transferred from storage, shall be liable for accounting and payment of such assessment.

(e) Any money collected by the commissioner pursuant to the provisions of this section shall not be deemed state funds and shall be deposited pursuant to § 4-33, in a qualified public depository in Connecticut. Such funds shall be expended by the commissioner for expenses incurred in administering the budget recommended by the board.