Agricultural Marketing Service
   
 
Industry Marketing and Promotion
 
Marketing Order 989: California Raisins  
Recent Rulemaking:

 
There are no rulemaking notices recently published in the Federal Register related to the marketing of raisins.

 
Major Provisions:

 
  • Commodity Regulated: Raisins produced from grapes grown in California
  • Crop Shipping Season: August 1 through July 31
  • Fiscal Year: August 1 through July 31
  • Production Area(s): California
  • Order Authority and Regulations: Marketing order authorizes volume control measures in the form of free and reserve tonnage. Tonnage is released gradually through the season by preliminary, interim, and final percentages. Under the order, free raisins can be used in any market. Reserve raisins may be sold to handlers for free use; used in diversion programs; exported to authorized countries; carried over to the next crop year; sold to government agencies; or disposed to other outlets noncompetitive with free raisins. All of these outlets have been used in recent years. The order also authorizes minimum grade and size regulations, and minimum requirements are currently in effect. Grade and size requirements established under the order are applied to imported raisins.
  • Research and Promotion: The order authorizes marketing research and development projects and marketing promotion, including paid advertising. Projects in these areas are currently active, except that paid advertising is now being used only in foreign marketing efforts. Under the order, the industry is able to pursue a very active marketing effort in Asian countries.
  • The order was promulgated in 1949 and was last amended under formal rulemaking on August 18, 1989.
  • 8e Requirements: 8e requirements specify that imported commodities must meet the same or comparable minimum grade, size, quality, and maturity requirements, as those specified under this Marketing Order.

 
Committee Structure: The Raisin Administrative Committee is comprised of 35 members representing producers; 10 members representing handlers of varying sizes; 1 member representing the Raisin Bargaining Association (RBA); and 1 public member. Members serve 2-year terms of office that begin on May 1. Producer and handler members are nominated at meetings and by mail ballots.

 
Contact: Debbie Powell, Interim President/General Manager, Raisin Administrative Committee, 2445 Capitol Street, Suite 200, Fresno, California 93721; Phone: (559) 225-0520; FAX: (559) 225-0652; Web site: www.raisins.org.

 
AMS Contact: Director, Marketing Order and Agreement Division, Fruit and Vegetable Program, Agricultural Marketing Service, Phone: (202) 720-2491.
 
Resources
 
  Roster of Members and Alternates  
 
  Link to Marketing Order in CFR  
 
  Link to Raisin Forms  
 
Media Help
 
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  Last Modified Date: 01/29/2015