Almonds Grown in California; Release of the Reserve Established for the 1994-95 Crop Year

The Department of Agriculture (Department) is adopting as a final rule, without change, the provisions of an interim final rule relaxing volume regulations imposed on California almond handlers for the 1994-95 crop year by releasing reserve almonds into salable channels. Volume regulations were imposed under the authority of the Federal marketing order which regulates the handling of almonds grown in California and is locally administered by the Almond Board of California (Board). During the 1994-95 season, handlers were required to withhold as a reserve, from normal competitive markets, 10 percent of the almonds which they received from growers. The remaining 90 percent of the crop could be sold by handlers to any market at any time. The interim final rule relaxed these regulations on handlers by releasing the reserve percentage to the salable category and was necessary to provide a sufficient quantity of almonds to meet anticipated trade demand and carryover needs.