Hazelnuts Grown in Oregon and Washington

Hazelnuts Grown in Oregon and Washington; Hearing on Proposed Amendment of Marketing Order No. 982
 

Docket Number: AMS-SC-16-0074
Effective Date: The hearing date is October 18, 2016, 8:30 am to 5:00 pm

Summary
Notice is hereby given of a public hearing to receive evidence on proposed amendments to Marketing Order No. 982 (order), which regulates the handling of hazelnuts grown in Oregon and Washington. Two amendments are proposed by the Hazelnut Marketing Board (Board), which is responsible for local administration of the order. The proposed amendments would add both the authority to regulate quality and the authority to establish different regulations for different markets. In addition, the Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) proposes to make any such changes as may be necessary to the order to conform to any amendment that may result from the hearing. The proposals are intended to aid in pathogen reduction and meet the needs of different market destinations.

Contact
Melissa Schmaedick
Marketing Order and Agreement Division
Specialty Crops Program, AMS, USDA
Post Office Box 952
Moab, UT  84532
Telephone: (202) 557-4783
Fax: (435) 259-1502
Email: Melissa.Schmaedick@usda.gov

or

Michelle Sharrow
Marketing Order and Agreement Division
Specialty Crops Program, AMS, USDA
1400 Independence Ave. SW, Stop 0237
Washington, DC 20250-0237
Telephone: (202) 720-2491
Fax: (202) 720-8938
Email: Michelle.Sharrow@ams.usda.gov

Supporting Documents

Hearing Information

On October 18, 2016, AMS held a formal rulemaking hearing in Wilsonville, Oregon on the Hazelnut Marketing Board’s recommendation to add quality control to the marketing order that already authorizes mandatory inspection for grade and size, research, promotion, market development, and volume control.  The hearing provided an opportunity for the public to present evidence on whether to allow quality control regulations intended to reduce the prevalence of pathogens in hazelnuts and establish different regulations for different market destinations.