Updated 3/20/03

Trucker's Reference

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TRUCKERS AND GROWERS ------ This summary is prepared for your assistance.  Regulations quoted in this summary are accurate as of the date of preparation.  They are subject to change and are intended to be used as a quick reference guide only.  Complete grade standards and marketing order regulations are available upon request.  View complete Standards here:  Fruit and Vegetable Inspection WAC's and RCW's

THE FOLLOWING COMMODITIES REQUIRE INSPECTION AND HAVE MINIMUM GRADE AND SIZE REQUIREMENTS:

[Apples] [Pears] [Potatoes] [Asparagus] [Peaches] [Cherries] [Apricots] [Prunes]

The field offices listed below operate between the hours of 8:00 A.M. and 5:00 P.M., Monday through Friday. Service is available beyond these hours with prior arrangements with the inspection office. Inspectors generally are not available at these offices on a drop-in basis. It will be beneficial to call ahead to arrange for inspections. Please make inspection requests with the local inspection office.

The Moses Lake District Office has closed.  Please see the District Boundary map to see which district you belong in.

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APPLES

• Minimum Grade:
  Red varieties – Washington Fancy or US NO. 1
  Green/Yellow varieties – Washington C Grade

• Minimum Soluble Solids (refractometer):
  11% Red Delicious and Delicious -- to October 1 of each crop season
  10.5% Golden Delicious -- prior to the General Release date

• Minimum Firmness (pressure test) requirements
  12 pounds -- Red Delicious and Delicious
  11 Pounds -- Gala and Jonagold
  10 pounds -- Golden Delicious

• Container marking requirements:
  Name
  Address
  Variety or "Variety Unknown"
  Grade
  Count or minimum diameter
  Net weight in open containers
  Net contents in closed containers

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PEARS

• Minimum Grade:
  Summer Pears --  Washington C Grade
  Winter Pears -- Washington 3^rd Grade

• Minimum Weight
  Summer Pears -- 14 pounds net weight – minimum container size, except for consumer type packages in master containers.
  
• Container marking requirements -- Summer and Winter Pears
  Name
  Address
  Variety or "Variety Unknown"
  Grade
  Count or Net Weight.

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POTATOES
Marketing Order No. 946

• Minimum Grade
  U.S. No. 2
          Requirements are set seasonally and the packing facility will be able to provide inspection.

• Container marking requirements
  Name and address of packer, shipper or grower
  Net Weight

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ASPARAGUS

• Grades
  WA Extra Fancy Tips, WA Extra Fancy, WA Fancy, WA Consumer Pack

• Size (diameter) requirements

WA Ex Fcy Tips and WA Ex Fcy grades only:

Containers marked:
WA Jumbo -------- 13/16 inch & larger
WA Large -------- 7/16 inch & larger
WA Standard ----- 6/16 inch & larger

WA Ex Fcy Tips grade may also be marked -- WA Small ----- 4/16 inch & larger
WA Fancy grade – minimum diameter is 4/16 inch.  Must be marked WA Small or a numerical minimum diameter
WA Consumer Pack – minimum diameter is 1/4 inch.  Must be marked with a numerical designation

• Container regulations

NO FIELD TYPE (LUGS) CONTAINERS ALLOWED

WA Consumer Pack grade --- Pyramid type containers with a moisture pad or "western lug" containers only.

All other grades --- any type containers with moisture pad

• Net weight requirements
  WA Consumer Pack grade --- 20 pounds net wt. In "western lug" containers
  All other grades --- No minimum net weight

• Container marking requirements
  Name
  Address
  Grade (at least 3/8 inches in height)
  Net weight
  Size designation or numerical minimum diameter (where applicable).

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PEACHES

• Grades
  WA Extra Fancy, WA Fancy, WA Combination Extra Fancy and Fancy

• Marking requirements
  Name
  Address
  Variety
  Grade
  Net weight
  Count or minimum diameter
  
  *The term "well filled" shall mean the level of the fruit is filled to the top edge of the container sides.

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CHERRIES
Marketing Order No. 923

MUST BE FREE FROM CHERRY FRUIT FLY LARVAE --- Zero tolerance --- all varieties of fresh sweet cherries require inspection for cherry fruit fly larvae.

• Grade
  Dark sweet varieties --- Marketing Order (90% WA NO. 1) minimum

• Minimum size
  Dark sweet varieties --- 54/64 inch (12 Row size)
  Rainier Variety -- Must meet minimum of 17% soluble solids Minimum diameter – 61/64 inch (11 Row size)

• Container regulations
  Dark sweet varieties --- 12 pounds & less, or 20 pounds & more

• Container markings
  Name
  Address
  Net weight, and variety, or Sweet Cherries

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APRICOTS
Marketing Order No. 922

• Minimum Grade
  Washington No. 1

• Size requirements
  1-5/8 inch minimum diameter, except
  1-1/4 inch minimum diameter for Blenheim, Blenril and Tilton varieties

• Container regulations
  28 pounds or more --- open or telescope fiberboard containers (western lug)
  24 pounds or more --- LA cartons packed loose
  12 pounds net wt. ---- closed containers packed loose

All other containers must be row-faced, tray packed, etc.

• Marking requirements
  Names
  Address
  Variety
  Grade
  Count or net weight
  Minimum diameter

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PRUNES
Marketing Order No. 924

• Minimum Grade
  WA NO. 1 – U.S. No. 1 quality, except 2/3 of the surface must be purplish color.

• Size
  1-1/4 inch minimum diameter

• Marking requirements
  Name
  Address
  Variety
  Grade
  Net weight

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