Sun-Maid may lose a third of its raisin tonnage.

Raisin growers representing one-third of the tonnage handled by the Sun-Maid cooperative have given notice that they intend to withdraw. Sun-Maid President Barry Kriebel reported that withdrawing members contributed 40,000 tons to the cooperative’s total pool of 120,000 tons, but he hopes that some growers can be persuaded to return before harvest. The mass withdrawals followed reports that the cooperative made $27 million in overpayments to raisin growers in recent years. The cooperative has frozen some funds in an effort to recover the money.