Agricultural Marketing Service August 2009 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

This rule would increase the assessment rate established for the California Walnut Board (Board) for the 2009-10 and subsequent marketing years from $0.0131 to $0.0177 per kernelweight pound of assessable walnuts. This rule would also change reporting and recordkeeping regulations in conformance with amendments made on March 3, 2008, to the marketing order that regulates the handling of walnuts grown in California. The Board locally administers the marketing order. Assessments upon walnut handlers are used by the Board to fund reasonable and necessary expenses of the program. The marketing year begins September 1 and ends August 31. The assessment rate would remain in effect indefinitely unless modified, suspended, or terminated.

The Department of Agriculture (USDA) is adopting, as a final rule, without change, an interim final rule that established final volume regulation percentages for 2008-09 crop Natural (sun-dried) Seedless (NS) raisins covered under the Federal marketing order for California raisins (order). The order regulates the handling of raisins produced from grapes grown in California and is locally administered by the Raisin Administrative Committee (Committee). The volume regulation percentages are 87 percent free and 13 percent reserve. The percentages are intended to help stabilize raisin supplies and prices, and strengthen market conditions.

This rule would increase the assessment rate established for the Processed Pear Committee (PPC) for the 2009-2010 and subsequent fiscal periods from $6.25 to $8.41 per ton for ``summer/fall'' pears for canning. The PPC is responsible for local administration of the marketing order regulating the handling of pears for processing grown in Oregon and Washington. Assessments upon handlers of pears for processing are used by the PPC to fund reasonable and necessary expenses of the program. The fiscal period for the marketing order begins July 1 and ends June 30. The assessment rate would remain in effect indefinitely unless modified, suspended or terminated.

This decision proposes amendments to Marketing Agreement and Order No. 983 (order), which regulates the handling of pistachios grown in California, and provides growers with the opportunity to vote in a referendum to determine if they favor the changes. The amendments are based on proposals by the Administrative Committee for Pistachios (Committee), which is responsible for local administration of the order. These amendments would: Expand the production area covered under the order to include Arizona and New Mexico in addition to California; authorize the Committee to reimburse handlers for a portion of their inspection and certification costs in certain situations; authorize the Committee to recommend research projects; modify existing order authorities concerning aflatoxin and quality regulations; modify the authority for interhandler transfers of order obligations; redesignate several sections of the order; remove previously suspended order provisions, and make other related changes. The amendments are intended to improve the operation and functioning of the marketing order program.

The Department of Agriculture (USDA) is adopting, as a final rule, without change, an interim final rule that modified the minimum size requirement under the Colorado potato marketing order, Area No. 2. For most long potato varieties, the interim final rule changed the minimum size requirement from 2 inches in diameter to 1\7/8\ inches in diameter and removed the minimum weight requirement. The change is expected to improve the marketing of Colorado Area No. 2 potatoes while increasing returns to producers and potato supplies to consumers.

The Department of Agriculture (USDA) is adopting, as a final rule, without change, an interim final rule that relaxed the handling requirements prescribed under the California table grape marketing order (order) and the table grape import regulation. The interim final rule relaxed the minimum bunch size requirement for the 2009 season for grapes packed in containers holding 2 pounds net weight or less. Under the relaxation, up to 20 percent of the weight of such containers may consist of single clusters weighing less than one quarter pound, but with at least five berries each. The interim final rule was necessary to provide California desert grape handlers and importers the flexibility to respond to a marketing opportunity on a test basis for one season to meet consumer needs.