USDA terminates Washington Apricot Marketing Order

Date June 27, 2023 — The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is terminating Marketing Order No. 922, which regulates the handling of apricots grown in designated counties in Washington State.

The marketing order was established in 1957 but has been operating without handling requirements since 2014.

In 2014, USDA implemented a recommendation from the committee to indefinitely suspend the marketing order’s handling requirements to reduce industry expenses and increase returns to producers and handlers.

On July 7, 2021, the committee unanimously voted to recommend USDA terminate the entire marketing order after determining the suspension of handling requirements had not adversely affected the marketing of Washington apricots. While considering the recommendation, USDA published a final rule on April 13, 2022, suspending the reporting and assessment collection requirements under the marketing order.

A 60-day public comment period on the proposed rule for this termination closed December 19, 2022. One comment was received in support of termination. USDA informed Congress of the termination on March 3, 2023, in compliance with the requirement to notify Congress at least 60 days before terminating a federal marketing order.

The final rule for this action was published in the Federal Register on June 27, 2023.

More information about the marketing order is available on the 922 Washington Apricots webpage on the Agricultural Marketing Service’s (AMS) website. Information about federal marketing orders is available on AMS’s Marketing Orders and Agreements webpage or by contacting the Market Development Division at (202) 720-2491.

Authorized by the Agricultural Marketing Agreement Act of 1937, marketing orders are industry-driven programs that help producers and handlers achieve marketing success by leveraging their own funds to design and execute programs that they would not be able to do individually. AMS provides oversight to fruit, vegetable and specialty crops marketing orders and agreements to help ensure fiscal accountability and program integrity.

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