Sweet Onions Grown in the Walla Walla Valley of Southeast Washington and Northeast Oregon; Fiscal Period Change

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This rule invites comments on a proposed change in the fiscal period under the Walla Walla sweet onion marketing order from June 1 through May 31 to January 1 through December 31. This rule was recommended by the Walla Walla Sweet Onion Marketing Committee (Committee), the agency responsible for local administration of the marketing order regulating the handling of sweet onions grown in the Walla Walla Valley of Southeast Washington and Northeast Oregon. The current fiscal period has been in place since the marketing order's inception in 1995. Because of advance planning needed for market promotion, including paid advertising, the Committee now develops its budget of expenditures before June 1, but delays actual expenditures until that date. This has made it more difficult for the Committee to coordinate the timing of marketing promotion activities with the short harvest and marketing season for Walla Walla sweet onions. The recommended change is expected to help the Committee better coordinate its marketing promotion activities with the marketing season--mid-June into September.