CTFA contemplates eliminating mandatory inspections
CTFA contemplates eliminating mandatory inspections
REEDLEY, CA -- A subcommittee of the California Plum Marketing Board, the Peach Commodity Committee and the Nectarine Administrative Committee, all of which are administered by the California Tree Fruit Agreement, here, are contemplating a recommendation to eliminate mandatory grade and quality inspections, according to CTFA President Blair Richardson.
"This is one of the most significant things this industry has considered in many, many years," Mr. Richardson told The Produce News Monday, Sept. 19.
Inspection and grade standards have been "a hot topic for the industry for over 50 years," he said. But over the last two or three years, members of CTFA's respective commodity boards "have really started to work more diligently on trying to understand what kind of grade and quality standard system this industry needs to better reflect the evolving infrastructure" of the industry as well as the demands of consumers and retailers "that exist in our environment today. "
One infrastructure factor of concern to some in the industry is that the existing inspection system keeps high-volume packing facilities from operating at peak efficiency. There are also questions about whether the existing quality standards "meet the demand of our consuming public now," he said.
Currently, peaches and plums operate under federal marketing order grade and quality standards with mandatory inspections, but the marketing orders are written in such a way that if the inspections are eliminated, the marketing order standards would also be suspended, although other federal standards that exist separate from the marketing order, such as U.S. No. 1, would still apply, as would state agricultural code standards.
The case of plums is somewhat different. Plums operate under a state marketing order that allows mandatory inspections to be discontinued without eliminating the grade and quality standards.
An alternative to the mandatory marketing order standards that the industry may consider would be the adoption of some other alternative form of a standard system, such as a voluntary marketing agreement, Mr. Richardson said.
If the mandatory inspections are eliminated, shippers would have the option of voluntarily contracting with State Shipping Point Inspection or with a third party to have their products inspected, he said.
"Discussions are still continuing" on whether the recommendation to eliminate mandatory inspections should move forward, Mr. Richardson said. "There are people in the industry who feel like mandatory quality standards are very important for the future of the industry. & [But] at this point, I think the majority of the industry feels like the alternative would be a better solution. "
The subcommittees next meeting on the issue was scheduled for Oct. 5. "Based on what happens at that meeting," there will be a subsequent meeting, and if the subcommittee "does decide to move forward with this recommendation," it would go before the three commodity boards at the Nov. 30 CTFA business meetings, he said. The change could go into effect before the start of the next marketing season.
There is no requirement that all three boards make the same decision, he added.
"This is one of the most significant things this industry has considered in many, many years," Mr. Richardson told The Produce News Monday, Sept. 19.
Inspection and grade standards have been "a hot topic for the industry for over 50 years," he said. But over the last two or three years, members of CTFA's respective commodity boards "have really started to work more diligently on trying to understand what kind of grade and quality standard system this industry needs to better reflect the evolving infrastructure" of the industry as well as the demands of consumers and retailers "that exist in our environment today. "
One infrastructure factor of concern to some in the industry is that the existing inspection system keeps high-volume packing facilities from operating at peak efficiency. There are also questions about whether the existing quality standards "meet the demand of our consuming public now," he said.
Currently, peaches and plums operate under federal marketing order grade and quality standards with mandatory inspections, but the marketing orders are written in such a way that if the inspections are eliminated, the marketing order standards would also be suspended, although other federal standards that exist separate from the marketing order, such as U.S. No. 1, would still apply, as would state agricultural code standards.
The case of plums is somewhat different. Plums operate under a state marketing order that allows mandatory inspections to be discontinued without eliminating the grade and quality standards.
An alternative to the mandatory marketing order standards that the industry may consider would be the adoption of some other alternative form of a standard system, such as a voluntary marketing agreement, Mr. Richardson said.
If the mandatory inspections are eliminated, shippers would have the option of voluntarily contracting with State Shipping Point Inspection or with a third party to have their products inspected, he said.
"Discussions are still continuing" on whether the recommendation to eliminate mandatory inspections should move forward, Mr. Richardson said. "There are people in the industry who feel like mandatory quality standards are very important for the future of the industry. & [But] at this point, I think the majority of the industry feels like the alternative would be a better solution. "
The subcommittees next meeting on the issue was scheduled for Oct. 5. "Based on what happens at that meeting," there will be a subsequent meeting, and if the subcommittee "does decide to move forward with this recommendation," it would go before the three commodity boards at the Nov. 30 CTFA business meetings, he said. The change could go into effect before the start of the next marketing season.
There is no requirement that all three boards make the same decision, he added.
