989.54—Marketing policy.
(a) Trade demand.
On or before August 15 of each crop year, the Committee shall hold a meeting to review shipment data, inventory data, and other matters relating to the quantity of raisins of all varietal types. For any varietal type for which a free tonnage percentage may be recommended, the Committee shall compute a trade demand. The trade demand shall be 90 percent of the prior crop year's shipments (converted to a natural condition weight) of free tonnage and reserve tonnage sold for free use for that varietal type, into all market outlets, adjusted by the carryin on August 1 of the current crop year and the desirable carryout for the varietal type at the end of that crop year. If the prior year's shipments were limited because of crop conditions, the Committee may select the shipments of one of the three years preceding the prior crop year. The desirable carryout shall be increased from 45,000 to 60,000 tons for Natural (sun-dried) Seedless raisins at a rate of 5,000 tons per year for three crop years following the effective date of this amended subpart. The desirable carryout for Dipped Seedless raisins shall be 1,500 tons, and for Oleate and Related Seedless raisins, 1,500 tons. The trade demand computed by the Committee shall be announced by the Committee in accordance with paragraph (h) of this section.
(b) Preliminary percentages.
On or before October 5 of each crop year (except that the Committee may extend this date not more than five business days if warranted by a late crop), the Committee shall estimate the production of any varietal type of raisins for which it has computed a trade demand. If the Committee determines that volume regulation is desirable during the crop year for that varietal type, it shall compute and announce preliminary free and reserve percentages for that varietal type: Provided, That such production estimate shall include by varietal type the raisins handlers are expected to acquire from producers and the total tonnage of raisins diverted under a raisin diversion program. The Committee shall compute a preliminary free percentage to release 85 percent of the computed trade demand, if it determines that a field price has been established for that varietal type, or 65 percent of the trade demand if no field price has been established. The preliminary free percentage shall be computed by multiplying the trade
demand by either 85 percent or 65 percent (as the case may be) and dividing the product by the estimated production of that varietal type and rounding the resulting percentage to the nearest full percent. The difference between 100 percent and the preliminary free percentage shall be the preliminary reserve percentage.
(c) Interim percentages.
Prior to February 15, the Committee may modify the preliminary free and reserve percentages to release less than the trade demand.
(d) Final percentages.
No later than February 15, the Committee shall recommend to the Secretary, final free and reserve percentages which will tend to release the full trade demand for any varietal type for which preliminary or interim percentages have been computed and announced. The difference between any final free percentage designated by the Secretary and 100 percent shall be the final reserve percentage. With its recommendation, the committee shall report on its consideration of the factors in paragraph (e) of this section.
(e) Factors.
When computing preliminary and interim percentages, or determining final percentages for recommendation to the Secretary, the Committee shall give consideration to the following factors:
(1)
The estimated tonnage held by producers, handlers, and for the account of the Committee at the beginning of the crop year;
(4)
If different than the computed trade demand, the estimated trade demand for raisins in free tonnage outlets;
(5)
If not estimated as provided in paragraph (a) of this section, an estimated desirable carryout at the end of the crop year for free tonnage and, if applicable, for reserve tonnage;
(6)
The estimated market requirements for raisins outside free tonnage outlets, considering the estimated world raisin supply and demand situation;
(7)
Current prices being received and the probable general level of prices to be received for raisins by producers and handlers;
(10)
Any other pertinent factors bearing on the marketing of raisins including the estimated supply of and demand for other varietal types and regulations applicable thereto.
(f) Modification.
In the event the Committee subsequently deems it advisable to modify its marketing policy on any crop, because of national emergency, crop failure, or other major change in economic conditions, it shall hold a meeting for that purpose, and file a report thereof with the Secretary within 5 days (exclusive of Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays) after the holding of such meeting, which report shall show such modification and the basis therefor.
(g) Reserve tonnage to sell as free tonnage.
On or before November 15 of the crop year, the Committee shall make two simultaneous offers of reserve tonnage to handlers to sell as free tonnage for each varietal type for which preliminary percentages have been computed and announced. One offer shall consist of a quantity equal to 10 percent of the prior year's (or the alternative year selected by the Committee pursuant to paragraph (a) of this section) shipments of free tonnage and reserve tonnage sold for free use into all market outlets to equate the current year's supply with the prior year's shipments. This offer shall be allocated to handlers on the basis of their prior year's acquisitions. The second offer, to provide for market expansion, shall consist of a quantity equal to 10 percent of the prior year's (or the alternative year selected by the Committee pursuant to paragraph (a) of this section) shipments of free tonnage and reserve tonnage sold for free use. This offer shall be allocated to handlers on the basis of their prior year's shipments of free tonnage and reserve tonnage sold for free use. Each offer shall be open to handlers not more than five business days, and subsequently, two offers of any tonnage unsold in the original offers open not more than two business days each, may be made. The reoffer tonnage shall be allocated to handlers who purchase 100 percent of their allocation in preceding offers, and shall be on the basis of the quantity each handler purchased, as a percentage of the total quantity purchased by all handlers eligible to participate. At the close of the second reoffer, any remaining tonnage may be offered to handlers who purchased all of their allocations from previous offers on a first-come first-served basis and such offer shall be open to handlers for one business day. Any handler who had no shipments or acquisitions of raisins during the prior crop year will be allocated raisins under these offers on the basis of his acquisition (up to the time the original offer is made) of raisins in the current crop year. If field prices are not established, the offer shall be made not more than fifteen days following such establishment. The price of reserve tonnage raisins offered to handlers to sell as free tonnage, pursuant to this paragraph, shall be the established field price for free tonnage raisins of that varietal type, plus 3 percent of the established field price, plus the estimated costs incurred by the Committee for equity holders.
(h) Publicity.
The Committee shall promptly give reasonable publicity to producers, dehydrators, handlers, and the cooperative bargaining association(s) of each meeting to consider a marketing policy or any modification thereof, and each such meeting shall be open to them. Similar publicity shall be given to producers, dehydrators, handlers, and the cooperative bargaining association(s) of each marketing policy report or modification thereof, filed with the Secretary and of the Secretary's action thereon. Copies of all marketing policy reports shall be maintained in the office of the Committee, where they shall be made available for examination by any producer, dehydrator, handler, or cooperative bargaining association representative. The Committee shall notify handlers, dehydrators and the cooperative bargaining association(s), and give reasonable publicity to producers of its computation of the trade demand, preliminary percentages, and interim percentages and shall notify handlers, dehydrators, and the cooperative bargaining association(s) of the Secretary's action on percentages by registered or certified mail.