[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 209 (Friday, October 29, 1999)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 58325-58328]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-28376]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Agricultural Marketing Service

7 CFR Part 984

[Docket No. FV99-984-2 FR]


Walnuts Grown in California; Reporting Walnuts Grown Outside of 
the United States and Received by California Handlers

AGENCY: Agricultural Marketing Service, USDA.
ACTION: Final rule.

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SUMMARY: This rule revises the administrative rules and regulations of 
the Federal marketing order for California walnuts (order) to require 
handlers to report receipts of walnuts grown outside of the United 
States. The order regulates the handling of walnuts grown in California 
and is administered locally by the Walnut Marketing Board (Board). 
Requiring handlers to report to the Board receipts of walnuts grown 
outside of the United States will allow the Board to have better 
information on the total available supply of walnuts within California, 
which includes both California and foreign product. This will 
facilitate program administration.

EFFECTIVE DATE: This rule becomes effective November 1, 1999.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Maureen T. Pello, Marketing 
Specialist, California Marketing Field Office, Fruit and Vegetable 
Programs, AMS, USDA, 2202 Monterey Street, suite 102B, Fresno, 
California 93721; telephone: (559) 487-5901; Fax: (559) 487-5906; or 
George Kelhart, Technical Advisor, Marketing Order Administration 
Branch, Fruit and Vegetable Programs, AMS, USDA, P.O. Box 96456, room 
2525-S, Washington, DC 20090-6456; telephone: (202) 720-2491, Fax: 
(202) 720-5698. Small businesses may request information on complying 
with this regulation by contacting Jay Guerber, Marketing Order 
Administration Branch, Fruit and Vegetable Programs, AMS, USDA, P.O. 
Box 96456, room 2525-S, Washington, DC 20090-6456; telephone (202) 720-
2491, Fax: (202) 720-5698, or E-mail: Jay.G[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This final rule is issued under Marketing 
Agreement and Order No. 984, both as amended (7 CFR part 984), 
regulating the handling of walnuts grown in California, hereinafter 
referred to as the ``order.'' 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.''

[[Page 58326]]

    The Department of Agriculture (Department) is issuing this final 
rule in conformance with Executive Order 12866.
    This rule has been reviewed under Executive Order 12988, Civil 
Justice Reform. This rule is not intended to have retroactive effect. 
This 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 request a modification of the order or to be exempted 
therefrom. Such handler is afforded the opportunity for a hearing on 
the petition. After the hearing the Secretary would rule 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 to review the 
Secretary's ruling on the petition, provided an action is filed not 
later than 20 days after the date of the entry of the ruling.
    This final rule revises the order's administrative rules and 
regulations to require handlers to report to the Board receipts of 
walnuts grown outside of the United States. This will allow the Board 
to have better information on the total available supply of walnuts 
within California, which includes both California and foreign product, 
which will facilitate program administration. This action was 
unanimously recommended by the Board at a meeting on September 11, 
1998.
    Section 984.76 of the order provides authority for the Board, with 
the approval of the Secretary, to require handlers to furnish reports 
and information to the Board as needed to enable the Board to perform 
its duties under the order. The Board meets during the season to make 
decisions on various programs authorized under the order. These 
programs include quality control (minimum grade and size requirements 
for both inshell and shelled walnuts placed into channels of commerce), 
volume regulation, and projects regarding production research, and 
marketing research and development.
    The Board would like to have better information on the total supply 
of walnuts within California, which includes both California and 
foreign product. The Board will use this information in its marketing 
policy deliberations each fall when it reviews the crop estimate, 
handler carryover, and other factors to determine whether volume 
regulation would be appropriate. In addition, the Board has some 
concerns that, particularly in short crop years when handlers may 
import more walnuts to meet customer demands, imported walnuts could be 
included in handler inventory reports of California walnuts. Accurate 
information regarding the supply of walnuts within California is needed 
by the Board in its administration of the order.
    According to the National Agricultural Statistics Service, the 10-
year average annual production of California walnuts is 235,000 inshell 
tons. Bureau of Census data indicates that the 10-year average annual 
import figure for walnuts is 1,036.5 shelled tons. However, during 
short crop years in California such as the 1992-93 (203,000 inshell 
tons) and 1996-97 (208,000 inshell tons) seasons, imports increased to 
8,046 and 5,806 shelled tons, respectively.
    Thus, the Board recommended that handlers be required to report to 
the Board receipts of walnuts grown outside of the United States. This 
report, WMB Form No. 7, will be submitted to the Board four times per 
year as follows: On or before November 5 for such walnuts received 
during the period August 1 to October 31; on or before February 5 for 
such walnuts received during the period November 1 to January 31; on or 
before May 5 for such walnuts received during the period February 1 to 
April 30; and on or before August 5 for such walnuts received during 
the period May 1 to July 31. The report will include the quantity of 
such walnuts received, country of origin, and whether such walnuts were 
inshell or shelled. Given the effective date of this final rule, the 
first reporting date will be February 5, 2000, for walnuts received 
during the period November 1 to January 31.
    The Board also recommended that, with each report, the handler 
submit a copy of a product tag issued by the Dried Fruit Association of 
California (DFA) for compliance purposes. The DFA is a private agency 
designated under the marketing order to provide inspection services for 
handlers to ensure that California walnuts meet minimum grade and size 
requirements in effect under the order. The product tag will indicate 
the name of the person from whom the walnuts were received, the date 
the walnuts were received by the handler, the number of containers and 
U.S. Custom's Service entry number, whether the product is inshell or 
shelled, the quantity of walnuts, country of origin, the name of the 
DFA inspector who issued the tag, and the date such tag was issued. The 
Board believes product tags are necessary to verify handler receipt 
reports for imported walnuts. Accordingly, a new Sec. 984.476 is added 
to the orders' administrative rules and regulations.

Final Regulatory Flexibility Analysis and Paperwork Reduction Act

    Pursuant to requirements set forth in the Regulatory Flexibility 
Act (RFA), the AMS has considered the economic impact of this rule on 
small entities. Accordingly, AMS has prepared this final regulatory 
flexibility analysis.
    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 walnuts in the 
production area and approximately 50 handlers subject to regulation 
under the order. Small agricultural producers have been defined by the 
Small Business Administration (13 CFR 121.601) as those having annual 
receipts less than $500,000, and small agricultural service firms are 
defined as those whose annual receipts are less than $5,000,000. The 
majority of producers of California walnuts may be classified as small 
entities.
    During the 1997-98 season, as a percentage, 33 percent of the 
handlers shipped over 2.4 million kernelweight pounds of walnuts, and 
67 percent of the handlers shipped under 2.4 million kernelweight 
pounds of walnuts. Based on an average price of $2.10 per kernelweight 
pound at the point of first sale, the majority of handlers of 
California walnuts may be classified as small entities.
    This rule adds a new Sec. 984.476 to the order's administrative 
rules and regulations which requires handlers to report to the Board 
receipts of walnuts grown outside of the United States. This will allow 
the Board to have better information on the total available supply of 
walnuts, including California and foreign product, which will 
facilitate program administration. Authority for requiring handlers to 
submit this information to the Board is provided in Sec. 984.76 of the 
order.

[[Page 58327]]

    Regarding the impact of this action on affected entities, this rule 
should impose minimal additional costs. The Board estimates that about 
six handlers have imported walnuts over the past few years. Such 
handlers will be required to submit an additional report to the Board 
four times per year along with tags issued by the DFA verifying 
receipts of foreign product. The DFA currently provides inspection 
services for all handlers of California walnuts and will be available 
at no additional cost to issue product tags to handlers receiving 
imports. Handlers will then submit these tags to the Board for 
verification purposes.
    An alternative to this action would be to not collect information 
from handlers on receipts of imported walnuts. However, as previously 
mentioned, the Board would like to have better information on the total 
available supply of walnuts within California, which includes both 
California and foreign product. The only way this information can be 
obtained by the Board is to collect it from handlers. This information 
will facilitate program administration by improving the Board's base of 
information from which to make decisions.
    The Board also recommended that a system be established for 
monitoring walnuts grown outside of the United States that are received 
by California handlers. Under the proposed monitoring system, DFA 
inspectors would check whether or not foreign product had been 
inspected and met the requirements of section 8e of the Act. Under 
section 8e, whenever certain specified commodities are regulated under 
a Federal marketing order, imports of that commodity must meet the same 
or comparable grade, size, quality, and maturity requirements as those 
in effect for the domestic commodity. Walnuts are included under 
section 8e, and thus importers of walnuts are required to have such 
walnuts inspected. However, it is the USDA's responsibility to ensure 
that imported walnuts meet the requirements of section 8e. Thus, we are 
not proceeding with this recommendation.
    Finally, the Board considered whether it would be useful to collect 
information on walnuts grown outside of California, but within the 
United States. However, Board members agreed that the amount of such 
walnuts was so small, it was not worth requiring handlers to report 
such information.
    This action imposes some additional reporting and recordkeeping 
burden on handlers that receive walnuts grown outside of the United 
States. It is estimated that six handlers may import walnuts during the 
season. Such handlers will be required to submit a receipt report to 
the Board four times per year. It is estimated that it will take such 
handlers 5 minutes to complete each report. Thus, the additional annual 
burden should total no more than 2 hours for the industry. The 
information will be collected on WMB Form No. 7. That form has been 
approved by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) under OMB Control 
No. 0581-0178. As with other similar marketing order programs, reports 
and forms are periodically reviewed to reduce information requirements 
and duplication by industry and public sector agencies.
    The Department has identified one relevant Federal rule regarding 
requirements for walnuts grown outside of the United States. As 
previously stated, walnuts are included under section 8e. Thus, 
importers of walnuts are required to have such walnuts inspected by the 
USDA's inspection service. Importers whose walnuts meet section 8e 
requirements do not have to submit any paperwork to the USDA. However, 
importers whose walnuts fail section 8e requirements, or whose walnuts 
are exempt from section 8e because such walnuts are so immature that 
they cannot be used for drying and sale as dried walnuts (green 
walnuts), or are being sent to designated outlets (animal feed, 
processing, or charity) have to submit paperwork to the USDA. However, 
only a small amount of information requested by the USDA in these 
instances or by the Board through this rule, will be duplicative.
    In addition, the Board's meeting on September 11, 1998, where this 
action was deliberated was a public meeting widely publicized 
throughout the walnut industry. This issue was also deliberated at an 
earlier Board meeting on February 2, 1998, and at a Grades and 
Standards Subcommittee meeting on June 5, 1998. All interested persons 
were invited to attend these meetings and participate in the industry's 
deliberations. A proposed rule concerning this action was published in 
the Federal Register on August 19, 1999 (64 FR 45208). Copies of the 
rule were mailed to all handlers, Board members, and alternate members. 
The rule was also made available through the Internet by the Office of 
the Federal Register. A 60-day comment period ending October 18, 1999, 
was provided to allow interested persons to respond to the proposal. No 
comments were received.
    A small business guide on complying with fruit, vegetable, and 
speciality crop marketing agreements and orders may be viewed at the 
following web site: http://www.ams.usda.gov/fv/moab.html. Any questions 
about the compliance guide should be sent to Jay Guerber at the 
previously mentioned address in the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT 
section.
    After consideration of all relevant matter presented, including the 
information and recommendation submitted by the Board 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 rule until 30 days after publication in the 
Federal Register (5 U.S.C. 553) because: (1) The Board would like to 
begin collecting this report as soon as possible in order to have 
better information on the total supply of walnuts within California; 
(2) the first report would be due to the Board on or before February 5, 
2000; (3) handlers are aware of this rule which was unanimously 
recommended at a public meeting; and (4) a 60-day comment period was 
provided in the proposed rule; no comments were received.

List of Subjects in 7 CFR Part 984

    Marketing agreements, Nuts, Reporting and recordkeeping 
requirements, Walnuts.
    For the reasons set forth in the preamble, 7 CFR part 984 is 
amended as follows:

PART 984--WALNUTS GROWN IN CALIFORNIA

    1. The authority citation for 7 CFR part 984 continues to read as 
follows:

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

    2. A new Sec. 984.476 is added to read as follows:


Sec. 984.476  Report of walnut receipts from outside of the United 
States.

    Each handler who receives walnuts from outside of the United States 
shall file with the Board, on WMB Form No. 7, a report of the receipt 
of such walnuts. The report shall be filed beginning with the February 
5, 2000, report as follows: On or before November 5 for such walnuts 
received during the period August 1 to October 31; on or before 
February 5 for such walnuts received during the period November 1 to 
January 31; on or before May 5 for such walnuts received during the 
period February 1 to April 30; and on or before August 5 for such 
walnuts received during the period May 1 to July 31. The report shall 
include the quantity

[[Page 58328]]

of such walnuts received, the country of origin for such walnuts, and 
whether such walnuts are inshell or shelled. With each report, the 
handler shall submit a copy of a product tag issued by a DFA of 
California inspector for each receipt of such walnuts that includes the 
name of the person from whom such walnuts were received, the date such 
walnuts were received by the handler, the number of containers and the 
U.S. Custom's Service entry number, whether such walnuts are inshell or 
shelled, the quantity of such walnuts received, the country of origin 
for such walnuts, the name of the DFA of California inspector who 
issued the product tag, and the date such tag was issued.

    Dated: October 26, 1999.
Eric M. Forman,
Acting Deputy Administrator, Fruit and Vegetable Programs.
[FR Doc. 99-28376 Filed 10-28-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-02-P