Release No.: 066-16
WASHINGTON, April 21, 2016 – The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) will hold a public hearing on proposed amendments to the federal marketing order for raisins grown in California.
The hearing will be held on May 3-4, 2016, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. (local time), at the Hilton Garden Inn Clovis, 520 W Shaw Avenue, Clovis, Calif. 93612. The hearing will continue on May 5, if necessary.
The Raisin Administrative Committee, which is responsible for local administration of the marketing order, proposed five amendments that would: 1) authorize production research; 2) establish new nomination procedures for independent grower member and alternate member seats; 3) add authority to regulate quality; 4) add authority to establish different regulations for different markets; and 5) add a continuance referenda requirement.
In addition, AMS proposes two amendments to the marketing order. These amendments would remove marketing order language pertaining to volume regulation and reserve pool authority and would establish term limits for Committee members.
If evidence submitted at the hearing favors these proposals, and if USDA agrees that the amendments would improve the marketing order’s operation, producers that produce raisins from grapes grown in the production area would vote in a producer referendum.
The proposal and the hearing notice will be published in the April 22, 2016, Federal Register. Copies may be obtained from Melissa Schmaedick, Rulemaking Branch, Marketing Order and Agreement Division, Specialty Crops Program, AMS, USDA, Post Office Box 952, Moab, UT 84532, telephone: (202) 557-4783, fax: (435) 259-1502; or Michelle P. Sharrow, Rulemaking Branch, Marketing Order and Agreement Division, Specialty Crops Program, AMS, USDA, 1400 Independence Avenue SW, Stop 0237, Washington, DC 20250-0237; telephone: (202) 720-2491, fax: (202) 720-8938 or email Melissa.Schmaedick@ams.usda.gov or Michelle.Sharrow@ams.usda.gov.
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