The desirable carryout was reduced to 2 months in 1996-97 to help decrease the supply of raisins available early in a season and, thus, stabilize market conditions. The Committee now believes that not enough raisins are being made available for growth. Increasing the desirable carryout allows for a higher trade demand figure and, thus, a higher free tonnage percentage which makes more raisins available to handlers for immediate use early in the season. At the meeting, the Committee also compared the average desirable carryout for the past 7 years with the average, actual tonnage that all handlers have in inventory at the end of a crop year. For the past 7 years, an average of 101,459 tons has been held in inventory by all handlers at the end of a crop year.
Naturals are the major commercial varietal type of raisin produced in California.
Volume regulation has been implemented for Naturals for the past several seasons. Accordingly, AMS has prepared this final regulatory flexibility analysis. The purpose of the RFA is to fit regulatory actions to the scale of business subject to such actions in order that small businesses will not be unduly or disproportionately burdened. Marketing orders issued pursuant to the Act, and rules issued thereunder, are unique in that they are brought about through group action of essentially small entities acting on their own behalf. Thus, both statutes have small entity orientation and compatibility.