(a) Optimum supply. On or about July 1 of each crop year, the Board shall hold a meeting to review sales data, inventory data, current crop forecasts and market conditions in order to establish an optimum supply level for the crop year. The optimum supply volume shall be calculated as 100 percent of the average sales of the prior three years reduced by average sales that represent dispositions of exempt cherries and restricted percentage cherries qualifying for diversion credit for the same three years, unless the Board determines that it is necessary to recommend otherwise with respect to sales of exempt and restricted percentage cherries, to which shall be added a desirable carry-out inventory not to exceed 20 million pounds or such other amount as the Board, with the approval of the Secretary, may establish. This optimum supply volume shall be announced by the Board in accordance with paragraph (h) of this section.
(b) Preliminary percentages. On or about July 1 of each crop year, the Board shall establish a preliminary free market tonnage percentage which shall be calculated as follows: from the optimum supply computed in paragraph (a) of this section, the Board shall deduct the carry-in inventory to determine the tonnage requirements (adjusted to a raw fruit equivalent) for the current crop year which will be subtracted from the current year USDA crop forecast or by an average of such other crop estimates the Board votes to use. If the resulting number is positive, this would represent the estimated overproduction which would be the restricted tonnage. This restricted tonnage would then be divided by the sum of the crop forecast(s) for the regulated districts to obtain a preliminary restricted percentage, rounded to the nearest whole number, for the regulated districts. If subtracting the current crop year requirement, computed in the first sentence from the current crop forecast, results in a negative number, the Board shall establish a preliminary free market tonnage percentage of 100 percent with a preliminary restricted percentage of zero. The Board shall announce these preliminary percentages in accordance with paragraph (h) of this section.
(c) Interim percentages. Between July 1 and September 15 of each crop year, the Board may modify the preliminary free market tonnage and restricted percentages to adjust to the actual pack occurring in the industry. The Board shall announce any interim percentages in accordance with paragraph (h) of this section.
(d) Final percentages. No later than September 15 of each crop year, the Board shall review the most current information available including, but not limited to, processed production and grower diversions of cherries during the current crop year. The Board shall make such adjustments as are necessary between free and restricted tonnage to achieve the optimum supply and recommend such final free market tonnage and restricted percentages to the Secretary and announce them in accordance with paragraph (h) of this section. The difference between any final free market tonnage percentage designated by the Secretary and 100 percent shall be the final restricted percentage. With its recommendation, the Board 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 Board shall give consideration to the following factors:
(1) The estimated total production of cherries;
(2) The estimated size of the crop to be handled;
(3) The expected general quality of such cherry production;
(4) The expected carryover as of July 1 of canned and frozen cherries and other cherry products;
(5) The expected demand conditions for cherries in different market segments;
(6) Supplies of competing commodities;
(7) An analysis of economic factors having a bearing on the marketing of cherries;
(8) The estimated tonnage held by handlers in primary or secondary inventory reserves;
(9) Any estimated release of primary or secondary inventory reserve cherries during the crop year; and
(10) The quantity of grower-diverted cherries during the crop year.
(f) Modification. In the event the Board subsequently deems it advisable to modify its marketing policy, 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 the Board's recommended modification and the basis therefor.
(g) Additional tonnage to sell as free tonnage. In addition, the Board, in years when restricted percentages are established, shall make available tonnage equivalent to an additional 10 percent, if available, of the average sales of the prior 3 years, as defined in paragraph (a) of this section, for market expansion.
(h) Publicity. The Board shall promptly give reasonable publicity to growers and handlers of each meeting to consider a marketing policy or any modification thereof, and each such meeting shall be open to them and to the public. Similar publicity shall be given to growers and handlers 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 Board, where they shall be made available for examination. The Board shall notify handlers, and give reasonable publicity to growers, of its computation of the optimum supply, preliminary percentages, and interim percentages and shall notify handlers of the Secretary's action on final percentages by registered or certified mail.
(i) Restricted percentages. Restricted percentage requirements established under paragraphs (b), (c), or (d) of this section may be fulfilled by handlers by either establishing an inventory reserve in accordance with § 930.55 or § 930.57 or by diversion of product in accordance with § 930.59. In years where required, the Board shall establish a maximum percentage of the restricted quantity which may be established as a primary inventory reserve such that the total primary inventory reserve does not exceed 50-million pounds; Provided, That such 50-million-pound quantity may be changed upon recommendation of the Board and approval of the Secretary. Any such change shall be recommended by the Board on or before September 30 of any crop year to become effective for the following crop year, and the quantity may be changed no more than one time per crop year. Handlers will be permitted to divert (at plant or with grower diversion certificates) as much of the restricted percentage requirement as they deem appropriate, but may not establish a primary inventory reserve in excess of the percentage established by the Board for restricted cherries. In the event handlers wish to establish inventory reserve in excess of this amount, they may do so, in which case it will be classified as a secondary inventory reserve and will be regulated accordingly.
(j) Inventory Reserve Release. In years when inventory reserve cherries are available and when the expected availability of cherries from the current crop plus expected carryin inventory does not fulfill the optimum supply, the Board shall release not later than November 1st of the current crop year such volume from the inventory reserve as will satisfy the optimum supply.
(k) The Board, with the approval of the Secretary, may establish rules and regulations necessary and incidental to the administration of this section.
[61 FR 49942, Sept. 24, 1996, as amended at 66 FR 35896, July 10, 2001; 67 FR 51714, Aug. 8, 2002; 75 FR 33677, June 15, 2010; 77 FR 33306, June 6, 2012]