The U.S. Department of Agriculture has withdrawn a proposed rule to amend administrative requirements in the marketing order for California almonds that would have modified existing authorities for roadside stand exemption, credit for market promotion activities, quality control, exempt dispositions, and interest and late payment sections of the regulations. In addition, the proposed rule would have indefinitely suspended two obsolete sections of the regulations (i.e., 981.466 and 981.467) and made several conforming changes to the regulatory text to facilitate orderly administration of the program.
The proposal, which was recommended by the Almond Board of California, was initially published in the Federal Register on Feb. 22, 2022, with a 60-day comment period and reopened for an additional 15 days beginning June 22, 2022. A notice withdrawing the proposed rule was published in the Federal Register on Aug. 22, 2022.
USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service will continue to work with the board and industry participants to determine if they support any changes to the marketing order’s administrative requirements in the future.
More information about the marketing order regulating the handling of California almonds is available on the 981 California Almonds webpage. More information about federal marketing orders is available on the Market Development Division webpage or by contacting the Market Development Division at (202) 720-2491.
Authorized by the Agricultural Marketing Agreement of 1937, marketing orders are industry-driven programs that help producers and handlers achieve marketing success by leveraging their own funds to design and execute programs that they would not be able to do individually. AMS provides oversight to 27 fruit, vegetable, and specialty crop marketing orders and agreements, which helps ensure fiscal accountability and program integrity.
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