§987.56. Outlets for utility and cull dates. — Inbound Citations

(d) Any handler may defer his certification and withholding or disposition of restricted dates by pledging a comparable volume of graded or field-run dates as a surety that he will meet his withholding obligation at a later date. Such deferment shall not be effective until: (1) The handler files with the Committee a CDAC Form No. 12 to set aside graded dates or CDAC Form No. 13 to set aside field-run dates; and (2) the pledged dates are set aside as a lot and identified by the handler as “Restricted” and as “Graded” or “Field-Run”, as appropriate, and as to the number of containers, the date of set-aside and whether or not the dates have been inspected. If the handler sets aside field-run dates or disposes of field-run dates in outlets prescribed in or pursuant to § 987.56 to obtain withholding credit for the sound date portion in the lot, the field-run dates shall meet the requirements prescribed in paragraph (f) of this section for eligible field-run dates, as determined by the inspection service.

(f) Upon the Committee prescribing, with the approval of the Secretary, minimum standards for inspection of field-run dates and appropriate administrative rules and regulations, a handler may, in accordance therewith and the provisions of this paragraph, satisfy all or any part of his obligation to withhold restricted dates by setting aside field-run dates or by disposing of field-run dates in outlets prescribed in, or pursuant to, § 987.56. The field-run dates shall be of such quality or size as shall be prescribed in such rules and regulations. The setting aside, direct disposal, and disposal of any field-run dates set aside shall occur prior to September 30 of the crop year in which the withholding obligation occurs. Prior to the disposal or setting aside of the field run dates, the handler shall have had them inspected to determine the weight of dates eligible to satisfy withholding obligation. Upon such disposal or setting aside of the field-run dates, the handler shall be credited with satisfaction of his restricted obligation to the extent of the eligible weight of dates. In permitting the handler to so satisfy his withholding obligation the Committee shall require the handler to agree in writing that:

(1) Any field-run dates set aside will be held separate and apart from other dates and appropriately marked;

(2) Such dates will not be removed from the stacks in which so set aside for substitution of other dates, disposition, or for any other reason without prior written permission of the Committee; and

(3) Inspection of said dates by the Committee will be permitted at any reasonable time. In order to satisfy a withholding obligation by direct disposal of field-run dates into cull outlets, the disposal shall be under the supervision of the Committee and through persons on a Committee approved list of feeders and manufacturers. The handler may, upon giving prior notice to the Committee of any of the following proposed actions with respect to field-run dates withheld and obtaining its approval, (i) dispose of any such set-aside, field-run dates in the same manner as provided for direct disposal (ii) grade such dates and have the graded dates certified as marketable dates and withhold or dispose of such marketable dates as restricted dates, or (iii) substitute for the set-aside, field-run dates an equivalent quantity of marketable dates which he shall withhold or dispose of as restricted dates.

All cull dates and all substandard dates, including such dates blended with varieties within the generic term dates not regulated by this part, except any utility dates released to human consumption outlets pursuant to § 987.56, are surplus dates of any crop year. No handler shall ship or deliver such surplus dates to other than the Committee or its designee(s) for disposition in eligible outlets for such dates, except that any producer or handler may dispose of any such surplus dates of his own production within his own livestock feeding operations. Surplus dates delivered to the Committee shall be disposed of by it, in those outlets specified in § 987.56, at the best prices attainable and the proceeds returned pro rata, after deduction of Committee costs, to equity holders. The Committee may assist handlers with the cleaning, storage, or delivery of surplus dates and may, with the approval of the Secretary, establish rules and regulations necessary and incidental to administration of this regulation.

Restricted dates may be disposed of only through exportation to such countries as the Committee may approve or by diversion in product outlets described in § 987.43 which the Committee concludes to be appropriate and which will result in dates moving into consumption in a form other than that of whole or pitted dates. To facilitate sales and promote orderly marketing of any variety of restricted dates handled in export, the Committee may participate in or negotiate for handlers, the sale of such dates to meet all or a substantial part of the needs of the particular country, and, in connection with each such sale, the Committee shall extend to all handlers an opportunity to participate therein and shall distribute the returns therefrom to participating handlers according to their respective contributions of dates. The Committee, with the approval of the Secretary, may prescribe rules and regulations governing the opportunity to participate in such sales. The provisions of this section shall not preclude restricted dates being disposed of in outlets for utility and cull dates prescribed in § 987.56.

(a) Diversion of dates, pursuant to § 987.55 or § 987.56, shall be accomplished only by such persons (which may include handlers) as are approved manufacturers or feeders. Any person may become an approved manufacturer or feeder if he (1) submits an application to the Committee in which he agrees, as a condition to approval of his application, to furnish to the Committee such information as it may require and to comply with the requirements and restrictions relative to the use and disposition of such dates, as set forth in this part, and (2) receives from the Committee written approval of his application. The application and approval shall be in accordance with such rules, regulations and safeguards as may be prescribed pursuant to § 987.59.

Dates covered by §§ 987.55 and 987.56 shall, by September 30 of the subsequent crop year (a) in accordance with the applicable requirements of such sections, be disposed of, or be converted from their whole or pitted form; or (b) be set aside and marked for disposition pursuant to the applicable requirements of such sections. The Committee may prescribe, with the approval of the Secretary, such rules, regulations and safeguards, pursuant to § 987.59, as may be necessary to prevent dates covered by §§ 987.55 and 987.56 from interfering with the objectives of this part.

The Committee may prescribe, with the approval of the Secretary, such rules, regulations and safeguards as are necessary to prevent dates covered by §§ 987.55 and 987.56 from interfering with the objectives of this part.

Each handler disposing of any dates pursuant to §§ 987.55 and 987.56 shall promptly thereafter report such disposition to the Committee in such form as the Committee may prescribe.