§ 915.332 - Florida avocado maturity regulation.


Latest version.
  • § 915.332 Florida avocado maturity regulation.

    (a) No handler shall handle any variety of avocados, except Hass, Fuerte, Zutano, and Edranol, grown in the production area unless:

    (1) Any portion of the skin of the individual avocados has changed to the color normal for that fruit when mature for those varieties which normally change color to any shade of red or purple when mature, except for the Linda variety; or

    (2) Such avocados meet the minimum weight or diameter requirements for the Monday nearest each date specified, through the Sunday immediately prior to the nearest Monday of the specified date in the next column, for each variety listed in the following table I: Provided, that avocados may not be handled prior to the earliest date specified in column A of such table for the respective variety; Provided further, There are no restrictions on size or weight on or after the date specified in column D; Provided further, That up to a total of 10 percent, by count to the individual fruit in each lot may weigh less than the minimum specified or be less than the specified diameter, except that no such avocados shall be over 2 ounces lighter than the minimum weight specified for the variety: Provided further, That up to double such tolerance shall be permitted for fruit in an individual container in a lot.

    Table I

    Variety A date Min. wt. Min. diam. B date Min. wt. Min. diam. C date Min. wt. Min. diam. D date
    Dr. Dupuis #25-30163716 6-13143516 7-04123216 7-18
    Simmons6-20163916 7-04143716 7-18123116 8-01
    Pollock6-201831116 7-04163716 7-18143416 8-01
    Hardee6-27163216 7-041421416 7-11127-25
    Nadir6-27143316 7-04123116 7-111021416 7-18
    Ruehle7-041831116 7-11
    7-18
    16
    14
    3916
    3716
    8-01
    8-08
    12
    10
    3516
    3316
    8-15
    Bernecker7-18183616 8-01163516 8-15143416 8-29
    Miguel (P)7-182231316 8-012031216 8-151831016 8-29
    Nesbitt7-182231216 8-01163516 8-08143316 8-22
    Tonnage8-01163616 8-15143416 8-22123016 8-29
    Waldin8-01163916 8-15143716 8-29123416 9-12
    Tower II8-01143616 8-15123416 8-29103216 9-05
    Beta8-08183816 8-15163516 8-29143316 9-05
    Lisa (P)8-08123216 8-151138-22
    Black Prince8-15284116 8-292331416 9-12163916 10-03
    Loretta8-22304316 9-052631516 9-192231216 9-26
    Booth 88-29163916 9-12143616 9-26
    10-10
    12
    10
    3316
    3116
    10-24
    Booth 78-291831316 9-121631016 9-26143816 10-10
    Booth 59-05143916 9-19123616 10-03
    Choquette9-26284416 10-10244116 10-242031416 11-7
    Hall9-262631416 10-10203916 10-24183816 11-07
    Lula10-031831116 10-10143616 10-31123316 11-14
    Monroe11-07264316 11-21244116 12-05
    12-19
    20
    16
    31416
    3916
    1-02
    Arue5-16165-30143316 6-20127-04
    Donnie5-23163516 6-06143416 6-20127-04
    Fuchs6-06143316 6-20123016 7-04
    K-56-13183516 6-27143316 7-11
    West Indian Seedling1 6-20187-18168-22149-19
    Gorham7-04294516 7-18274316 8-15
    Biondo7-11138-15
    Petersen7-11143816 7-18123516 7-25103216 8-08
    2327-18148-01128-15
    Pinelli7-181831216 8-011631016 8-15
    Trapp7-181431016 8-01123716 8-15
    K-98-01168-22
    Christina8-011121416 8-22
    Catalina8-15248-29229-19
    Blair8-29163816 9-12143516 10-03
    Guatemalan Seedling2 9-051510-031312-05
    Marcus9-053241216 9/19244516 10-31
    Brooks 19789-05123416 9-12103116 9-19821416 10-10
    Rue9-12304316 9-192431516 10-03183916 10-17
    Collinson9-121631016 10-10
    Hickson9-12123116 9-26103016 10-10
    Simpson9-19163916 10-10
    Chica9-19123716 10-03103416 10-17
    Leona9-261831016 10-031610-10
    Melendez9-262631416 10-102231116 10-24183716 11-07
    Herman10-03163916 10-17143616 10-31
    Pinkerton (CP)10-03133316 10-17113016 10-31911-14
    Taylor10-10143516 10-24123216 11-07
    Ajax (B-7)10-101831416 10-31
    Booth 310-10163816 10-17143616 10-31
    Semil 3410-171831016 10-31163816 11-14143516 11-28
    Semil 4310-241831016 11-7163816 11-21143516 12-05
    Booth 111-141631216 11-28123616 12-12
    Zio (P)11-14123116 11-281021416 12-12
    Gossman11-28113116 12-26
    Brookslate12-051831316 12-121631016 1-02123516 1-30
    12-19143816 1-1610
    Meya (P)12-12133216 12-26113016 1-09
    Reed (CP)12-12123416 12-26103316 1-0993016 1-23

    (3) Avocados which fail to meet the maturity requirements specified in this section must be maintained under the supervision of the Federal or Federal-State Inspection Service using the Positive Lot Identification program, and when presented for reinspection, must meet the maturity requirements which correspond to the date of the original inspection.

    (4) The requirements listed in table I of this section are in effect annually from April 16 through April 15 of the following year, with an exception for the requirements for Guatemalan seedling which are in effect annually from June 9 to June 8 of the following year.

    (b) The term diameter means the greatest dimension measured at a right angle to a straight line from the stem to the blossom end of the fruit.

    [59 FR 30869, June 16, 1994, as amended at 64 FR 53185, Oct. 1, 1999; 71 FR 11294, Mar. 7, 2006; 73 FR 26945, May 12, 2008; 79 FR 55353, Sept. 16, 2014; 87 FR 8143, Feb. 14, 2022]