Grapes Grown in a Designated Area of Southeastern California; Establishment of Reporting Requirements

The Department of Agriculture is adopting, as a final rule, without change, an interim final rule which established end-of-season reporting requirements authorized under the California grape marketing order (order). The order regulates the handling of grapes grown in a designated area of Southeastern California and is administered locally by the California Desert Grape Administrative Committee (Committee). Requiring handlers to file end-of-season grape shipment reports with the Committee enables the Committee to obtain accurate shipment data for assessment billing and for the next season's marketing decisions without incurring the expense of auditing every handler. Handler costs will continue to be reduced because the submission of end-of-season grape shipment reports is expected to be less costly and less time consuming than yearly handler audits.