Sweet Onions Grown in the Walla Walla Valley of Southeast Washington and Northeast Oregon; Fiscal Period Change

This rule changes the fiscal period under the Walla Walla sweet onion marketing order from June 1 through May 31 to January 1 through December 31. This rule was recommended by the Walla Walla Sweet Onion Marketing Committee (Committee), the agency responsible for local administration of the marketing order regulating the handling of sweet onions grown in the Walla Walla Valley of Southeast Washington and Northeast Oregon. The June 1 through May 31 fiscal period has been in place since the marketing order's inception in 1995. Due to the advance planning needed for market promotion, including paid advertising, it has been the practice of the Committee to develop its budget of expenditures prior to the start of each fiscal period, but delay the actual expenditure of funds until after June 1. This made it more difficult for the Committee to coordinate the timing of marketing promotion activities with the short harvest and marketing season for Walla Walla sweet onions. This fiscal period change is expected to help the Committee better coordinate its marketing promotion activities with the marketing season--mid-June into September.