Peanuts Marketed in the United States; Relaxation of Handling Regulations

This rule relaxes, for 1997 and subsequent crop peanuts, several provisions regulating the handling of domestically produced peanuts marketed in the United States. The relaxation includes: Eliminating need for approval of certain facilities; allowing minimum grade requirements for lots of splits to correspond with grade standards; allowing certain lots to be custom blanched; providing that under the Agreement, all lots of edible quality peanuts be eligible for indemnification benefits; providing that peanuts which have been certified as meeting the minimum grade requirements, but fail on aflatoxin, may be roasted prior to being certified as meeting the latter; and allowing rejected peanuts to be placed in ``suitable containers'', not just ``bagged''. This rule will improve efficiency and reduce program costs resulting in a similar reduction in assessment rates charged Agreement signer and non-signer handlers.