20-10.003. Gift Fruit Shipments

(1) Except as provided in Department of Citrus Chapter 20-44, F.A.C., shipments of fresh citrus fruit or the processed products thereof by any method of transportation by “express or gift fruit shippers,” as hereinafter defined, may be made without the issuance and filing of inspection certificates and without the grade being shown on the container. Such shipments shall not be for the purpose of resale by the consignee.

(2) Persons who desire to make such shipments by any means of transportation other than by a licensed express company, parcel post or by a person, firm or organization approved by the Department of Citrus for use of Special Transportation Permits, shall first obtain a permit for each shipment by filing an application on forms to be furnished by the Department of Citrus. A single application for permits may cover a full shipping season, however a separate permit must be used for each shipment. Special Transportation Permits may be issued to persons, firms or organizations approved by the Department of Citrus, and engaged in the business of transporting gift fruit shipments for a number of individual express or gift fruit shippers.

(3) Advertising assessments due on such fruit or products shall be paid in accordance with Rule 20-9.004, F.A.C.

(4) “Express or gift fruit shipper” is defined as any person having an established place of business who ships or delivers for transportation in any manner, citrus fruit to a consumer and not for the purpose of resale, including an “organic gift fruit shipper,” defined in subsection 20-10.003(5), F.A.C.

(5) An “Organic gift fruit shipper,” when approved by the Department of Citrus, is defined as an “express or gift fruit shipper” who, on forms supplied by the Department of Citrus:

(a) Under oath, certified that during the shipping season for which his citrus fruit dealer’s license was issued, he will deal only with citrus fruit which he knows of his own personal knowledge is produced on trees on which only compost, purely organic and nonacidulated fertilizer such as rock phosphate, colomite or ground limestone is used and to which no chemical insecticide or fungicide has been applied.

(b) Certified a complete list of all groves on which fruit he intends to handle will be produced and such list shall show the approximate number of boxes of each variety of citrus fruit expected to be handled therefrom.

Rulemaking Authority 601.10(1), 601.50 FS. Law Implemented 601.50 FS. History–Formerly 105-1.11(3), Amended 1-1-75, Formerly 20-10.03, Amended 11-28-12.