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 1999-2000 season. The weekly percentage for the first two weeks (September 20 through October 3) is 45 percent; for the third week (October 4 through October 10) is 40 percent; for the fourth through seventh weeks (October 11 through November 7) is 37 percent; and for the last four weeks (November 8 through December 5) is 32 percent. This limitation is designed to provide a sufficient supply of small sized red seedless grapefruit to meet market demand, without saturating all markets with these small sizes. This rule should help stabilize the grapefruit market and improve grower returns.