(a) General. The Board shall have power and authority to sell or dispose of any and all reserve walnuts withheld upon the best terms and at the highest returns obtainable consistent with the ultimate complete disposition of reserve, subject to all conditions of this section. The Board may dispose of reserve walnuts through handlers acting as agents of the Board under the terms and conditions specified by the Board.

(b) Export. The Board may export or authorize the disposition in export to the destinations outside the United States, Puerto Rico, and the Canal Zone, the quantity of reserve walnuts permitted to be exported by the export percentage establishment pursuant to §984.49. Reserve walnuts may be exported by any handler as an agent of the Board under the terms and conditions specified by the Board.

(c) Pooling. At any time during the marketing year a handler may deliver reserve walnuts and any substandard walnuts meeting the minimum kernel content requirements effective pursuant to §984.50(e) to the Board for pooling and crediting against his reserve obligation. Any reserve walnuts that the handler as agent of the Board has not disposed of by the end of the marketing year shall thereafter be delivered to the Board for pooling on demand. The Board shall dispose of these walnuts for use in the following outlets: Government agencies, charitable institutions, poultry or animal feed, walnut oil or other markets noncompetitive with markets for merchantable free walnuts. The Board may rent and operate or arrange the use of facilities for storage and disposition of reserve walnuts delivered to it.

(d) Crediting. The kernelweight of walnuts disposed of in accordance with this section shall be credited to the handler's reserve obligation. At any time during the marketing year, upon a handler's written request, the Board shall transfer part or all of the handler's credit in excess of his reserve obligation to any handler he designates.

(e) Pool proceeds. The proceeds remaining after the payment of all expenses incurred by the Board in receiving, holding, and disposing of pooled walnuts shall be distributed pro rata by the Board to each handler in proportion to his contribution thereto, measured in kernelweight, or such other basis as the Board may adopt with the approval of the Secretary.

(f) Rules and regulations. The Board, with the approval of the Secretary, may prescribe such rules and regulations as are necessary to carry out the provisions of this section.

[41 FR 31544, July 29, 1976]