Raisins Produced From Grapes Grown In California; Relaxations to Substandard and Maturity Dockage Systems

This rule relaxes the substandard and maturity dockage systems for raisins covered under the Federal marketing order for California raisins (order). The order regulates the handling of raisins produced from grapes grown in California and is administered locally by the Raisin Administrative Committee (Committee). Under the order, handlers may acquire raisins from producers under a weight dockage system and adjust the creditable fruit weight acquired according to the percentage of substandard raisins in a lot, or percentage of raisins that fall below certain levels of maturity. Certain marketing order obligations and producer payments are based on the creditable weight of raisins acquired by handlers. Because of unusual crop conditions this year created by the weather phenomenon known as El Nino, the industry predicts that a relatively high percentage of the 1998-99 crop will fall outside the limits of the substandard and maturity dockage systems. Relaxing the limits for the 1998 crop will reduce the number of lots of raisins returned by handlers to producers or reconditioned by handlers at the producers' expense. This will minimize producers' reconditioning costs and facilitate 1998 crop deliveries.