The USDA Agricultural Marketing Service published a final rule on September 29, 2026, extending the deadline for California almond handlers to meet their inedible disposition obligation from September 30 to November 30. The change is permanent under Marketing Order No. 981 and takes effect on October 29, 2026.
Under the marketing order, exceeding the 2% tolerance creates an obligation that handlers must dispose of inedible kernels through the Almond Board of California or approved users. The USDA said that the previous September deadline had become increasingly difficult to meet after inedible percentages rose sharply: 4.23% in 2023/24—the highest level in 40 years—and 3.07% in 2024/25, compared with a prior 15-year average of 1.44%. The additional 60 days are intended to give handlers more operational flexibility without changing the underlying quality-control obligation.
