[Federal Register Volume 60, Number 15 (Tuesday, January 24, 1995)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 4532-4534]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 95-1749]



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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
7 CFR Part 989

[Docket No. FV94-989-5FIR]


Raisins Produced From Grapes Grown in California; Expenses and 
Assessment Rate

AGENCY: Agricultural Marketing Service, USDA.

ACTION: Final rule.

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SUMMARY: The Department of Agriculture (Department) is adopting as a 
final rule, without change, the provisions of an interim final rule 
that authorized expenses and established an assessment rate that will 
generate funds to pay those expenses. Authorization of this budget 
enables the Raisin Administrative Committee (Committee) to incur 
expenses that are reasonable and necessary to administer the program. 
Funds to administer this program are derived from assessments on 
handlers.

EFFECTIVE DATE: August 1, 1994, through July 31, 1995.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Martha Sue Clark, Marketing Order 
Administration Branch, Fruit and Vegetable Division, AMS, USDA, P.O. 
Box 96456, room 2523-S, Washington, DC 20090-6456, telephone 202-720-
9918, or Richard P. Van Diest, California Marketing Field Office, Fruit 
and Vegetable Division, AMS, USDA, suite 102B, 2202 Monterey Street, 
Fresno, CA 93721, telephone 209-487-5901.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This rule is issued under Marketing 
Agreement and Order No. 989 (7 CFR part 989), regulating the handling 
of raisins produced from grapes grown in California. The marketing 
agreement and order are effective under the Agricultural Marketing 
Agreement Act of 1937, as amended (7 U.S.C. 601-674), hereinafter 
referred to as the Act.
    The Department of Agriculture is issuing this rule in conformance 
with Executive Order 12866.
    This rule has been reviewed under Executive Order 12778, Civil 
Justice Reform. Under the provisions of the marketing order now in 
effect, California raisins are subject to assessments. It is intended 
that the assessment rate as issued herein will be applicable to all 
assessable raisins handled during the 1994-95 crop year, which began 
August 1, 1994, and ends July 31, 1995. This final rule will not 
preempt any State or local laws, regulations, or policies, unless they 
present an irreconcilable conflict with this rule.
    The Act provides that administrative proceedings must be exhausted 
before parties may file suit in court. Under section 608c(15)(A) of the 
Act, any handler subject to an order may file with the Secretary a 
petition stating that the order, any provision of the order, or any 
obligation imposed in connection with the order is not in accordance 
with law and requesting a modification of the order or to be exempted 
therefrom. Such handler is afforded the opportunity for a hearing on 
the petition. The Act provides that the district court of the United 
States in any district in which the handler is an inhabitant, or has 
his or her principal place of business, has jurisdiction in equity to 
review the Secretary's ruling on the petition, provided a bill in 
equity is filed not later than 20 days after the date of the entry of 
the ruling.
    Pursuant to the requirements set forth in the Regulatory 
Flexibility Act (RFA), the Administrator of the Agricultural Marketing 
Service (AMS) has considered the economic impact of this rule on small 
entities.
    The purpose of the RFA is to fit regulatory actions to the scale of 
business subject to such actions in order that small businesses will 
not be unduly or disproportionately burdened. Marketing orders issued 
pursuant to the Act, and the rules issued thereunder, are unique in 
that they are brought about through group action of essentially small 
entities acting on their own behalf. Thus, both statutes have small 
entity orientation and compatibility.
    There are approximately 5,000 producers of California raisins under 
this marketing order, and approximately 20 handlers. Small agricultural 
producers have been defined by the Small Business Administration (13 
CFR 121.601) as those having annual receipts of less than $500,000, and 
small agricultural service firms are defined as those whose annual 
receipts are less than $5,000,000. A majority of California raisin 
producers and a minority of handlers may be classified as small 
entities.
    The budget of expenses for the 1994-95 crop year was prepared by 
the Committee, the agency responsible for local administration of the 
marketing order, and submitted to the Department for approval. The 
members of the Committee are producers and handlers of California 
raisins. They are familiar with the Committee's needs and with the 
costs of goods and services in their [[Page 4533]] local area and are 
thus in a position to formulate an appropriate budget. The budget was 
formulated and discussed in a public meeting. Thus, all directly 
affected persons have had an opportunity to participate and provide 
input.
    The assessment rate recommended by the Committee was derived by 
dividing anticipated expenses by expected acquisitions of California 
raisins. Because that rate will be applied to actual acquisitions, it 
must be established at a rate that will provide sufficient income to 
pay the Committee's expenses.
    The Committee, with headquarters in Fresno, California, met August 
15, 1994, and unanimously recommended a 1994-95 budget of $1,324,000, 
which is $744,940 more than the previous year. Budget items for 1994-95 
which have increased compared to those budgeted for 1993-94 (in 
parentheses) are: Office salaries, $123,000 ($90,000), fieldman 
salaries, $44,000 ($42,600), Payroll taxes, $30,000 ($27,500), employer 
retirement contribution, $20,000 ($18,200), general insurance, $8,000 
($6,000), group medical insurance, $40,000 ($37,000), rent, $43,000 
($17,900), telephone, $15,000 ($4,000), postage, $20,000 ($12,000), 
office supplies, $30,000 ($20,000), repairs and maintenance, $10,000 
($5,000), audit fees, $20,000 ($3,600), office travel, $14,000 
($12,000), Committee meeting expenses, $7,500 ($5,000), miscellaneous 
expense, $15,000 ($10,000), objective measurement survey, $14,750 
($14,000), and reserve for contingencies, $142,400 ($55,810). The 
Committee also recommended employee benefit expenses of $2,500 and 
export program funding of $50,000 for travel and $350,000 for foreign 
program administration, for which no funding was recommended last year.
    The Committee also provided for $1,652,750 for certain expenses 
likely to be incurred in connection with the 1994-95 raisin reserve 
pools for Natural (sun-dried) Seedless and Zante Currant raisins. In 
addition, a pool currently exists for Other Seedless raisins, and the 
Committee will make a decision on or before February 15, 1995, on 
whether or not this pool will be continued. Pool expenses are deducted 
from proceeds obtained from the sale of reserve raisins. These expenses 
are $766,150 more than the $886,600 for 1993-94 reserve pool expenses.
    The larger administrative and reserve pool expenses result from the 
Committee's takeover of certain industry export marketing activities 
and the fact that the Natural (sun-dried) Seedless raisin crop is 
larger than last year. This large crop, and the pooling of Zante 
Currant raisins for the first time in many years, will result in a 
large quantity to be pooled and increased costs. These costs will be 
even larger if Other Seedless raisins are pooled. Reserve pool 
expenditures are reviewed annually by the Department.
    A California State raisin marketing order was terminated in 1994. 
Its administrative agency, the California Raisin Advisory Board 
(CALRAB), formerly conducted marketing promotion and paid advertising 
activities here and abroad for the California raisin industry.
    The Committee is taking over the funding and administration of the 
Market Promotion Program (MPP). The MPP, administered by the 
Department's Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS), encourages the 
development, maintenance, and expansion of export markets for 
agricultural commodities like raisins.
    Recently, the FAS redirected MPP funds allocated to CALRAB for 
foreign promotion and advertising to the Committee which desires to use 
the funds to continue the industry's strong overseas promotion and 
advertising activities. To receive the full allocation ($4,479,549), 
the Committee must be able to show that it plans to spend, from 
industry sources, an amount equal to 50 percent of that allotment 
($2,239,975). This spending can be for administration or promotion. The 
Committee recommended that the increased spending necessary to meet the 
required MPP matching figure be funded through increased handler 
assessments, reserve pool funds, and merchandising incentive program 
funds.
    Under the marketing order's volume regulation provisions, marketing 
percentages (free and reserve) for a varietal type can be implemented 
to stabilize supplies. The free percentage prescribes the portion of 
the crop that can be shipped immediately to any market. The reserve 
percentage prescribes the portion of the crop to be held for later 
shipment. Reserve raisins are held in a reserve pool by handlers for 
the account of the Committee. Funds generated from the sales of reserve 
raisins, after deduction of reserve pool expenses, are distributed 
equally to equity holders in the pool (producers).
    A Committee implemented merchandising incentive program promotes 
the consumption of California raisins in foreign markets. For various 
countries, cash rebates and advertising/promotion incentives are 
offered to qualifying importers. Funds used to pay the incentives are 
derived from reserve pool sales.
    The Committee's MPP match of $2,239,775 will be made up of 
$1,249,775 in Committee domestic and overseas administration costs and 
$990,000 in industry market promotion funds. Domestic administration 
costs include $238,560 in employee salaries and benefits and $252,215 
for MPP overhead costs. The overhead costs include expenditures for 
Committee staff to travel overseas ($100,000), Committee delegation 
trips ($50,000), rent ($28,500), insurance ($1,600), telephone 
($7,500), postage ($6,000), office supplies, ($2,500), repairs and 
maintenance ($2,000), audit fees ($15,000), local travel ($3,000), 
equipment ($5,000), and miscellaneous expenses ($31,715).
    The overseas costs of $714,000 include funding for the Committee's 
overseas marketing representatives and their staffs for nine countries 
(United Kingdom, Germany, Japan, Singapore, Philippines, Thailand, 
Malaysia, China, and Hong Kong). The costs include salaries and 
benefits, travel, office rent, office supplies, utilities, and postage. 
The representatives will handle the administration and day-to-day 
details of the marketing activities conducted in these countries.
    The domestic and overseas administrative and overhead costs for the 
MPP will be paid with handler administrative assessments and reserve 
pool proceeds. Most of the major expense items for the MPP (employees 
salaries and benefits, domestic and overseas travel, and office rent) 
will be shared equally between administrative and reserve pool funds.
    A total of $1,442,325 was available for the Committee's 
merchandising incentive program this year. Of that amount, a total of 
$990,000 will qualify for the MPP match. The Committee plans to use 
these funds for authorized promotion activities in Japan.
    The Committee unanimously recommended an assessment rate of $4.00 
per ton, which is $2.20 more than last year. This rate, when applied to 
anticipated acquisitions of 331,000 tons, will yield $1,324,000 in 
assessment income, which will be adequate to cover anticipated 
administrative expenses. Any unexpended assessment funds from the crop 
year are required to be credited or refunded to the handlers from whom 
collected.
    An interim final rule was published in the Federal Register on 
October 31, 1994 (59 FR 54379). That interim final rule added 
Sec. 989.345 to authorize expenses and establish an assessment rate for 
the Committee. That rule provided that interested persons could 
[[Page 4534]] file comments through December 30, 1994. No comments were 
received.
    While this action will impose some additional costs on handlers and 
producers, the costs on handlers are in the form of uniform 
assessments, and those on producers will be shared equally by all 
equity holders in the 1994-95 reserve pool for Natural (sun-dried) 
Seedless raisins. However, these costs will be offset by the benefits 
derived by the operation of the marketing order. Therefore, the 
Administrator of the AMS has determined that this action will not have 
a significant economic impact on a substantial number of small 
entities.
    After consideration of all relevant matter presented, including the 
information and recommendations submitted by the Committee and other 
available information, it is hereby found that this rule, as 
hereinafter set forth, will tend to effectuate the declared policy of 
the Act.
    It is further found that good cause exists for not postponing the 
effective date of this action until 30 days after publication in the 
Federal Register (5 U.S.C. 553) because the Committee needs to have 
sufficient funds to pay its expenses which are incurred on a continuous 
basis. The 1994-95 crop year began on August 1, 1994. The marketing 
order requires that the rate of assessment for the crop year apply to 
all assessable raisins handled during the crop year. In addition, 
handlers are aware of this action which was unanimously recommended by 
the Committee at a public meeting and published in the Federal Register 
as an interim final rule.

List of Subjects in 7 CFR Part 989

    Grapes, Marketing agreements, Raisins, Reporting and recordkeeping 
requirements.

PART 989--RAISINS PRODUCED FROM GRAPES GROWN IN CALIFORNIA

    Accordingly, the interim final rule amending 7 CFR part 989 which 
was published at 59 FR 54379 on October 31, 1994, is adopted as a final 
rule without change.

    Dated: January 18, 1995.
Sharon Bomer Lauritsen,
Deputy Director, Fruit and Vegetable Division.
[FR Doc. 95-1749 Filed 1-23-95; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-02-P