Almonds Grown in California; Revision of Requirements Regarding Quality Control Program

This rule revises the administrative rules and regulations of the California almond marketing order (order) pertaining to the quality control program. The order regulates the handling of almonds grown in California, and is administered locally by the Almond Board of California (Board). Under the order, handlers receiving almonds from growers must have them inspected to determine the percentage of inedible almonds in each lot. Based on these inspections, handlers incur an inedible disposition obligation. They must satisfy this obligation by disposing of inedible almonds or almond material in outlets such as oil and animal feed. This rule will require at least 25 percent of each handler's disposition obligation to be satisfied by disposing of inedible almonds. Handlers with total annual inedible obligations of less than 1,000 pounds will be exempt from the 25 percent requirement. This rule will also implement a change requiring inedible obligation reports prepared by the Federal-State Inspection Service (inspection agency) to cover weekly rather than monthly periods, consistent with current practice. These changes will help remove more inedible product from human consumption channels, and improve program administration.