In a Federal Register notice published on February 28, 2014, the Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) is amending the minimum size requirements for domestically grown and imported oranges from 2-6/16 inches to 2-3/16 inches as a result of orange shortages linked to a recent freeze in California and plant diseases in Florida, effective March 1, 2014.

In an effort to counteract the shortage in oranges, the notice explains that, “Additional fruit was available from the Texas citrus industry. However, the fruit is smaller in size and would not meet the order's current size requirements. The Committee believes relaxing the requirements would make more fruit available to fill the market shortfall caused by the decline in production of oranges from other growing regions and provide smaller-sized fruit to meet consumer demand.”

The notice further clarifies that, “When certain domestically produced commodities, including oranges, are regulated under a Federal marketing order, imports of that commodity must meet the same or comparable grade, size, quality, and maturity requirements. Since this rule changes the minimum size requirement under the domestic handling regulations for oranges, a corresponding change to the import regulations must also be considered.”

The notice also claims that consumers are shifting towards a preference for smaller-sized fruit.

Comments have to be submitted by April 29, 2014.

The Federal Register notice can be accessed online here.