USDA Proposes Rule to Modify Membership and Handling Requirements for Pecans Grown in 15 States

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is accepting comments on a proposed rule to modify the membership and handling requirements for pecans grown in Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, Kansas, Louisiana, Missouri, Mississippi, North Carolina, New Mexico, Oklahoma, South Carolina and Texas.

This action would:

• Eliminate the regional and size designation requirements for sheller seats and modify the nomination process to reflect these changes;
• Revise the inter-handler transfer report from an annual to monthly submission and include information on the weight and type of inshell pecans transferred;
• Establish a five percent one-time late fee for unpaid assessments and a one percent monthly interest charge on any outstanding balances.

Grower seats and regions would remain unchanged. The American Pecan Council recommended these changes to increase sheller representation on the Council, improve data collection accuracy, and encourage timely payment of assessments.

The proposed rule was published in the Federal Register on Nov. 9, 2026. Written comments are due by Dec. 9, 2026.

Comments should be submitted through www.Regulations.gov or mailed to the Docket Clerk, Market Development Division, Specialty Crops Program, Agricultural Marketing Service, USDA, 1400 Independence Avenue SW, STOP 0237, Washington, DC 20250-0237. All comments on the proposed rule submitted by the deadline will be made available for public review and will be considered before publication of the final rule.

More information about the marketing order is available on the Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) 986 Pecans webpage.

Authorized by the Agricultural Marketing Agreement Act of 1937, marketing orders are industry-driven programs that help fruit, vegetable and specialty crop producers and handlers achieve marketing success by leveraging their own funds to design and execute programs that they would not be able to do individually. AMS provides oversight of each fruit, vegetable and specialty crop marketing order and agreement to ensure fiscal accountability and program integrity.

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