USDA Proposes Rule to Establish Salable Quantities and Allotment Percentages of Scotch and Native Spearmint Oil for the 2026-2027 Marketing Year

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is accepting comments on a proposed rule to establish the quantity of each class of spearmint oil produced in Washington, Idaho, and Oregon and parts of Nevada and Utah (Far West) that handlers may purchase from, or handle on behalf of, producers during the 2026-2027 marketing year.

This action would set the salable quantity of Class 1 (Scotch) spearmint oil at 979,704 pounds with an allotment percentage of 42%, and the salable quantity of Class 3 (Native) spearmint oil at 1,145,220 pounds with an allotment percentage of 43%. The Far West Spearmint Oil Administrative Committee recommended this action to satisfy the needs of the spearmint oil market while limiting the possibility of oversupplying it.

The Proposed Rule was published in the Federal Register on July 23, 2026. Written comments are due by Aug. 24, 2026.

Comments should be submitted through https://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) Far West Spearmint Oil webpage.

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

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