A Madera, Calif., almond grower-shipper has charged...

A Madera, Calif., almond grower-shipper has charged that the big California Almond Growers Exchange cooperative gets unfair advantage from two federal programs at the expense of independents. Claims filed by Rob Saulsbury challenge the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s administration of a federal marketing order for almonds and an export subsidy program aimed at increasing sales of American commodities overseas. He contends that both programs favor the exchange, which markets Blue Diamond almonds.