Pears Grown in Oregon and Washington; Amendment To Allow Additional Exemptions

The Department of Agriculture is adopting, as a final rule, without change, an interim rule that added an exemption to the marketing order for Oregon-Washington pears that provides for the sale of fresh pears directly to consumers without regard to regulation. For each customer, the interim rule provided an exemption for consumer- direct sales of up to 220 pounds of fresh pears per transaction, for home use only, made directly at orchards, packing facilities, roadside stands, or farmers' markets without regard to the marketing order's assessment, reporting, handling, and inspection requirements. This action is intended to provide increased marketing flexibility to small pear handlers, while facilitating the sale of fresh, local pears directly to consumers.