The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) invites comments on a proposed rule to establish the quantities of Scotch and Native spearmint oil produced in Washington, Idaho, Oregon and parts of Nevada and Utah that handlers may purchase from producers, or handle on their behalf, during the 2020-2021 marketing year.
The proposed rule, published in the Federal Register on Feb. 20, 2020, was recommended by the Far West Spearmint Oil Administrative Committee to satisfy the needs of the spearmint oil market while limiting the possibility of oversupply. The proposed rule would establish the salable quantity of Scotch (Class 1) spearmint oil at 838,404 pounds with an allotment percentage of 38 percent. It would also establish the salable quantity of Native (Class 3) spearmint oil at 1,230,531 pounds with an allotment percentage of 49 percent.
Written comments are due by April 20, 2020, and can be submitted on Regulations.gov or mailed to Docket Clerk, Marketing Order and Agreement Division, Specialty Crops Program, Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS), USDA, 1400 Independence Avenue SW, STOP 0237, Washington, DC 20250-0237; or faxed to (202) 720-8938. All comments in response to this proposed rule submitted before the deadline will be made available for public review and considered.
More information about the marketing order regulating the handling of spearmint oil produced in the Far West is available on the AMS 985 Spearmint Oil webpage.
Authorized by the Agricultural Marketing Agreement Act of 1937, marketing orders are industry-driven programs that help fruit, vegetable and specialty crop 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 29 fruit, vegetable and specialty crop marketing orders and agreements, which helps ensure fiscal accountability and program integrity.
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