Policy statement.

§ 29.9402 Policy statement. The sets of inspectors available to serve the flue-cured marketing areas are currently adequate to provide inspection service as rapidly as tobacco can be purchased, handled and processed by the currently existing facilities of the buyers, and the lack of inspection personnel is not a limiting factor to accelerated marketings or the extension of price support to producers. The sets of buyers assigned to the flue-cured markets by the buying industry are adequate to purchase tobacco as rapidly as it can be handled and processed by the buyers' facilities. However, the tobacco ready for marketing during most weeks of the marketing season substantially exceeds the quantities which can be purchased, handled and processed by the currently existing facilities of the buyers. Moreover, the total number of flue-cured markets are substantially greater than the number of sets of buyers assigned by the buying companies or the number of sets of available inspectors. In this situation, about 6 months is required to market a year's crop of flue-cured tobacco and all warehouses cannot be served at the same time by the available sets of inspectors and the sets of buyers assigned by the buying companies. As additional sets of inspectors would not relieve the situation, inspection service will be provided by assigning the available inspectors to the various marketing areas and to warehouses within the marketing areas in a manner determined by the Secretary to provide the best and most equitable service to all growers.