The Alabama Peanut Producers Association (APPA) supports a recommendation from the Peanut Standards Board to revise the minimum quality and handling standards for domestic and imported peanuts marketed in the U.S.
The proposed rule, issued May 25 in the Federal Register, would relax the allowance for damaged kernels in farmers’ stock peanuts when sorting and determining segregation.
The Peanut Standards Board voted in fall 2016 to raise the maximum damage level for Segregation 1 peanuts from 2.49 percent to 3.49 percent. The board suggested this change align incoming standards with recent changes to outgoing quality standards and increase returns to peanut producers.
APPA President Carl Sanders encourages the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to allow this change to become effective for the 2017 crop.
“This proposed change in the grading standards will reduce Segregation 2 peanuts at the farmer level,” Sanders said. “This will affect a very small number of peanuts in any given year and will help the farmers when they need it the most.”
U.S. Rep. Martha Roby (R-Ala.) supports the revisions.
“I applaud the USDA’s commonsense proposal. As co-chair of the Congressional Peanut Caucus, I have worked alongside my colleagues to get these standards updated to reflect modern advances in technology,” Roby said. “This change will benefit hardworking peanut producers in Alabama and throughout the country.”
The APPA encourages all peanut farmers to comment on the proposed rule by June 26. Comments must be
- Submitted here
- Faxed to (202) 720-8938
- Sent to Docket Clerk, Marketing Order and Agreement Division, Specialty Crops Program, AMS, USDA, 1400 Independence Avenue SW, STOP 0237, Washington, DC 20250-0237
All comments should reference the document number (AMS-SC-16-0102; SC16-996-3 PR), the date (May 25, 2017) and page number (24082) of this issue of the Federal Register.
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