Oranges, Grapefruit, Tangerines, and Tangelos Grown in Florida; Limiting the Volume of Small Red Seedless Grapefruit

This interim final rule limits the volume of small red seedless grapefruit entering the fresh market under the marketing order covering oranges, grapefruit, tangerines, and tangelos grown in Florida. The marketing order is administered locally by the Citrus Administrative Committee (committee). This rule limits the volume of size 48 and/or size 56 red seedless grapefruit handlers can ship during the first 11 weeks of the 1998-1999 season beginning in September. The weekly percentage for the first seven weeks (September 21 through November 8) is 37 percent and for the final four weeks (November 9 through December 16) is 32 percent. This limitation provides a sufficient supply of small sized red seedless grapefruit to meet market demand, without saturating all markets with these small sizes. This rule is necessary to help stabilize the market and improve grower returns.