USA: USDA will Amend the Federal Marketing Order for California Walnuts
On June 7, 2023, U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced that producers of walnuts grown in California voted to amend their federal marketing. The amendments will eliminate mandatory inspection and certification of inshell and shelled walnuts, and of shelled walnuts for processing; create a new mechanism for determining and collecting handler assessments; add authority to charge interest for late payments; establish an assessment rate of $0.0125 per inshell pound of walnuts; expand the definition of “to handle” to include “receive”; and remove volume control authority. In addition, conforming changes necessary to effectuate the amendments to the marketing order will be made.