[Federal Register Volume 59, Number 20 (Monday, January 31, 1994)]
[Unknown Section]
[Page 0]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 94-2023]


[[Page Unknown]]

[Federal Register: January 31, 1994]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
7 CFR Part 981

[Docket No. FV93-981-2IFR]

 

Almonds Grown in California; Reopening of Comment Period on 
Interim Final Rule

AGENCY: Agricultural Marketing Service, USDA.

ACTION: Reopening of comment period.

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SUMMARY: This document reopens the period for filing written comments 
on an interim final rule establishing a revised advertising program 
under the almond marketing order. That rule substantially revised the 
advertising program and broadened the scope of creditable promotion/
advertising activities available to handlers and expanded the Board's 
ability to engage in a significant generic promotion/advertising 
program.

DATES: Comments must be received by March 2, 1994.

ADDRESSES: Interested persons are invited to submit written comments 
concerning this reopened action. Comments must be sent in triplicate to 
the Docket Clerk, Marketing Order Administration Branch, F&V, AMS, 
USDA, room 2523-S, P.O. Box 96456, Washington, DC 20090-6456, FAX 
Number (202) 720-5698. Comments should reference the docket number, the 
date and page number of this issue of the Federal Register and will be 
made available for public inspection in the Office of the Docket Clerk 
during regular business hours.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Kathleen M. Finn, Marketing 
Specialist, Marketing Order Administration Branch, Fruit and Vegetable 
Division, AMS, USDA, room 2536-S., P.O. Box 96456, Washington, DC 
20090-6456; telephone: (202) 720-1509, or FAX (202) 720-5698; or Martin 
Engeler, Assistant Officer-in-Charge, California Marketing Field 
Office, Fruit and Vegetable Division, AMS, USDA, 2202 Monterey Street, 
suite 102-B, Fresno, California 93721; (209) 487-5901 or FAX (209) 487-
5906.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The interim final rule was issued under 
Marketing Agreement and Order No. 981 (7 CFR part 981), both as 
amended, regulating the handling of almonds grown in California. The 
marketing agreement and order are authorized by the Agricultural 
Marketing Agreement Act of 1937, as amended (7 U.S.C. 601-674), 
hereinafter referred to as the Act.
    The interim final rule was issued on July 14, 1993, and published 
in the August 17, 1993, issue of the Federal Register (57 FR 43500). It 
amended Sec. 981.441 of Subpart--Administrative Rules and Regulations 
by substantially revising the Board's promotion/advertising program by 
broadening the scope of creditable activities available to handlers and 
expanding the Board's ability to engage in a significant and more 
effective generic promotion/advertising program.
    Authority for marketing promotion, including paid advertising, was 
added to the almond marketing order in 1972. This authority allows 
handlers to receive credit against an assessment obligation for their 
own paid promotional activities, and also provides for generic 
promotion to be conducted by the Board on behalf of the industry.
    Since this authority was added to the marketing order, almond 
production has increased, markets have expanded, the number of handlers 
has increased and the relative proportion of product sold to ingredient 
manufacturers in bulk quantities has likewise increased. The creditable 
promotion/advertising regulations issued under the almond marketing 
order have been changed numerous times to better meet industry needs 
and changing market conditions (37 FR 13790, 7/14/72, as amended at 37 
FR 16930, 8/28/72; 38 FR 9988, 4/23/73; 39 FR 39258, 11/6/74; 40 FR 
25437, 6/16/75; 42 FR 5342, 1/28/77; 44 FR 67076, 11/23/79; 46 FR 
51603, 10/21/81; 47 FR 40784, 9/16/82; 48 FR 11250, 3/17/83; 49 FR 
19798, 5/10/84; 50 FR 16452, 4/26/85; 52 FR 13428, 4/23/87; 52 FR 
37926, 10/13/87; 52 FR 45611, 12/1/87; 54 FR 5409, 2/3/89; 54 FR 6866, 
2/15/89; 55 FR 130, 1/3/90; 55 FR 30194, 7/25/90; 55 FR 41826, 10/16/
90; 57 FR 30383, 7/9/92; 58 FR 33023, 6/15/93).
    The most recent change in the advertising regulations substantially 
revised the creditable promotion/advertising program by incorporating a 
new program called the ``credit-back'' program.
    On December 22, 1993, the United States Court of Appeals for the 
Ninth Circuit in California issued a ruling on a district court order 
involving an action against the Department by three independent almond 
handlers wherein such handlers alleged, among other things, that the 
Board's advertising program during the 1980's was unconstitutional 
because the program violated the handlers' First Amendment Rights. The 
district court ruled that the advertising program was constitutional. 
The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals acknowledged the substantial public 
interest in designing effective promotion programs to stimulate demand 
and to increase returns to growers but concluded that the almond 
program in place during the 1980's was sufficiently flawed that it did 
not meet the constitutional standards.
    In light of the potential effect of the Ninth Circuit Court of 
Appeal's decision on the current promotion program conducted under the 
almond marketing order and on the health of the almond industry as a 
whole, the Department has determined that it is in the public interest 
to reopen the comment period for this interim final rule. Such action 
will provide interested persons the opportunity to review the rules for 
the current program and submit additional written views and information 
pertinent to the potential effect of the decision on the current 
program and on how the Department can best address the issues raised in 
the court's decision. Accordingly, the comment period is reopened to 
March 2, 1994.

    Authority: 7 U.S.C. 601-674.

    Dated: January 25, 1994.
Robert C. Keeney,
Deputy Director, Fruit and Vegetable Division.
[FR Doc. 94-2023 Filed 1-28-94; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-02-P