The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced a final rule establishing diversion procedures for seasonal volume control of cranberries grown under the Marketing Order regulating the handling of cranberries grown in the states of Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New Jersey, Wisconsin, Michigan, Minnesota, Oregon, Washington and Long Island in the State of New York. The procedures were recommended by the Cranberry Marketing Committee.
The new procedures direct handlers to divert restricted fruit to noncompetitive outlets. The rule also establishes six reporting requirements that provide the committee with information about diversion plans for the year, fruit diverted and shipped to noncompetitive outlets, year-end reporting and other information.
The final rule for this action was published in the Federal Register July 12, 2018, and will be effective Aug. 13, 2018. A 60-day comment period on the proposed rule ended April 16, 2018.
Information about the marketing order is available on the Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) 929 Cranberry webpage.
Authorized by the Agricultural Marketing Agreement Act of 1937, marketing orders are industry-driven programs that help 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 of marketing orders and agreements, which helps ensure fiscal accountability and program integrity.
More information about federal marketing orders is available on AMS’ Marketing Orders and Agreementswebpage or by contacting the Marketing Order and Agreement Division at (202) 720-2491.
Source: USDA
