2008 Direct and Counter-Cyclical Program, 36839-36840 [E8-14694]
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jlentini on PROD1PC65 with NOTICES
Federal Register / Vol. 73, No. 126 / Monday, June 30, 2008 / Notices
component/
main?main=DocketDetail&d=APHIS–
2008–0046 to submit or view comments
and to view supporting and related
materials available electronically.
• Postal Mail/Commercial Delivery:
Please send two copies of your comment
to Docket No. APHIS–2008–0046,
Regulatory Analysis and Development,
PPD, APHIS, Station 3A–03.8, 4700
River Road Unit 118, Riverdale, MD
20737–1238. Please state that your
comment refers to Docket No. APHIS–
2008–0046.
Reading Room: You may read any
comments that we receive on this
docket in our reading room. The reading
room is located in room 1141 of the
USDA South Building, 14th Street and
Independence Avenue, SW.,
Washington, DC. Normal reading room
hours are 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday
through Friday, except holidays. To be
sure someone is there to help you,
please call (202) 690–2817 before
coming.
Other Information: Additional
information about APHIS and its
programs is available on the Internet at
https://www.aphis.usda.gov.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For
information on regulations for the
interstate movement of fruits and
vegetables from Hawaii, Puerto Rico,
and the U.S. Virgin Islands, contact Dr.
Inder P. S. Gadh, Senior Risk Manager,
Commodity Import Analysis and
Operations, PPQ, APHIS, 4700 River
Road Unit 133, Riverdale, MD 20737;
(301) 734–8758. For copies of more
detailed information on the information
collection, contact Mrs. Celeste Sickles,
APHIS’ Information Collection
Coordinator, at (301) 851–2908.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Title: Treatments for Fruits and
Vegetables.
OMB Number: 0579–0281.
Type of Request: Extension of
approval of an information collection.
Abstract: As authorized by the Plant
Protection Act (7 U.S.C. 7701 et seq.)
(PPA), the Secretary of Agriculture may
prohibit or restrict the importation,
entry, exportation, or movement in
interstate commerce of any plant, plant
product, biological control organism,
noxious weed, means of conveyance, or
other article if the Secretary determines
that the prohibition or restriction is
necessary to prevent a plant pest or
noxious weed from being introduced
into or disseminated within the United
States. This authority has been
delegated to the Animal and Plant
Health Inspection Service (APHIS),
which administers regulations to
implement the PPA.
VerDate Aug<31>2005
16:15 Jun 27, 2008
Jkt 214001
Regulations governing the interstate
movement of plants and plant products
from Hawaii and U.S. territories,
including Guam, Puerto Rico, and the
U.S. Virgin Islands, are contained in 7
CFR 318, ‘‘Hawaiian and Territorial
Quarantine Notices.’’ These regulations
are necessary to prevent the interstate
spread of plant pests such as the
Mediterranean fruit fly, the melon fly,
the Oriental fruit fly, green coffee scale,
the bean pod borer, and other plant
pests to noninfested areas of the United
States.
Certain fruits and vegetables moved
interstate from Hawaii, Puerto Rico, and
the U.S. Virgin Islands must undergo
irradiation treatment. Requirements for
irradiation treatment of fruits and
vegetables are contained in 7 CFR 305,
‘‘Phytosanitary Treatments.’’ These
requirements involve information
collection activities, including the use
of permits, certificates, requests for
facility approval, and package marking.
We are asking the Office of
Management and Budget (OMB) to
approve our use of these information
collection activities for an additional 3
years.
The purpose of this notice is to solicit
comments from the public (as well as
affected agencies) concerning our
information collection. These comments
will help us:
(1) Evaluate whether the collection of
information is necessary for the proper
performance of the functions of the
Agency, including whether the
information will have practical utility;
(2) Evaluate the accuracy of our
estimate of the burden of the
information collection, including the
validity of the methodology and
assumptions used;
(3) Enhance the quality, utility, and
clarity of the information to be
collected; and
(4) Minimize the burden of the
information collection on those who are
to respond, through use, as appropriate,
of automated, electronic, mechanical,
and other collection technologies, e.g.,
permitting electronic submission of
responses.
Estimate of burden: The public
reporting burden for this collection of
information is estimated to average
0.2444 hours per response.
Respondents: Persons moving fruits
and vegetables interstate from Hawaii,
Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands,
irradiation facility personnel, shippers,
and State plant regulatory officials.
Estimated annual number of
respondents: 23.
Estimated annual number of
responses per respondent: 9.7826.
PO 00000
Frm 00003
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
36839
Estimated annual number of
responses: 225.
Estimated total annual burden on
respondents: 55 hours. (Due to
averaging, the total annual burden hours
may not equal the product of the annual
number of responses multiplied by the
reporting burden per response.)
All responses to this notice will be
summarized and included in the request
for OMB approval. All comments will
also become a matter of public record.
Done in Washington, DC, this 24th day of
June 2008.
Kevin Shea,
Acting Administrator, Animal and Plant
Health Inspection Service.
[FR Doc. E8–14793 Filed 6–27–08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410–34–P
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Commodity Credit Corporation
2008 Direct and Counter-Cyclical
Program
Commodity Credit Corporation,
USDA.
ACTION: Notice.
AGENCY:
SUMMARY: As announced by this notice,
the Commodity Credit Corporation
(CCC) is implementing the provisions of
the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act
of 2008 (the 2008 Farm Bill) regarding
direct and counter-cyclical payments for
the 2008 crop year. The 2008 Farm Bill
authorizes direct and counter-cyclical
payments, with some changes, that were
previously authorized for preceding
crops under the Farm Security and
Rural Investment Act of 2002 (the 2002
Farm Bill). As a result of this notice,
CCC will be able to commence
administration of the Direct and
Counter-cyclical Program (DCP) for the
2008 crop. Through a subsequent rule,
CCC will implement DCP for the 2009
through 2012 crops.
EFFECTIVE DATE: June 30, 2008.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Salomon Ramirez, Director, Production,
Emergencies and Compliance Division,
Farm Service Agency, USDA, STOP
0517, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW.,
Washington, DC 20250–0517; telephone:
(202) 720–7641; e-mail:
salomon.ramirez@wdc.usda.gov.
Persons with disabilities who require
alternative means for communication
(Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.)
should contact the USDA Target Center
at (202) 720–2600 (voice and TDD).
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: As
explained in this notice, CCC will
operate the 2008 DCP program as
required by the 2008 Farm Bill using the
E:\FR\FM\30JNN1.SGM
30JNN1
jlentini on PROD1PC65 with NOTICES
36840
Federal Register / Vol. 73, No. 126 / Monday, June 30, 2008 / Notices
standards of 7 CFR 1412 to the extent
they are not in conflict with the 2008
Farm Bill and this notice. With a few
changes, the Food, Conservation, and
Energy Act of 2008 (Pub. L. 110–246)
(the 2008 Farm Bill) authorizes a
continuation for the 2008 crop year of
the Direct and Counter-cyclical Program
authorized by the Farm Security and
Rural Investment Act of 2002 (the 2002
Farm Bill) and set forth in regulations at
7 CFR 1412.
Section 1001 of the 2008 Farm Bill
provides that the base acres and yields
established by the 2002 Farm Bill that
were in effect on September 30, 2007
will, with a few exceptions, constitute
the base acres for the 2008 through 2012
crop years. The 2008 Farm Bill contains
requirements for adjustments of base
acres for various reasons including, but
not limited to, land no longer being
devoted to agricultural uses.
With respect to payment yields, the
2008 Farm Bill provides that the
payment yields for direct and counter
cyclical payments under the 2002 Farm
Bill, as in effect on September 30, 2007,
will be used. Section 1102 further
requires the Secretary to establish a
payment yield for direct and countercyclical payments for each farm for any
designated oilseed or eligible pulse crop
for which a payment yield was not
established under the 2002 Farm Bill.
For new yields, this will involve a
determination of an average yield per
planted acre for the designated oilseed
or pulse crop on a farm for the 1998
through 2001 crop years, excluding any
crop year in which the acreage planted
was zero. An adjustment to the payment
yield will equal the product of the
average yield and the ratio resulting
from dividing the national average yield
for the 1981 through 1985 crops by the
national average for the 1998 through
2001 crops. If the yield for a farm for
any of the 1998 through 2001 crop years
was less than 75 percent of the county
yield, then the Secretary will assign a
yield equal to 75 percent of the county
yield to determine the average.
Like with the 2002 Farm Bill, the
2008 Farm Bill sets forth certain
requirements to which the participant
must agree to be eligible for direct and
counter-cyclical payments. Included in
these requirements is the requirement to
effectively control noxious weeds and
otherwise maintain the land in
accordance with sound agricultural
practices. These provisions will
continue to be applicable in 2008.
One significant change in the 2008
Farm Bill that was not present in the
2002 Farm Bill, which will be
implemented in 2008, relates to farms
with small bases. A producer on a farm
VerDate Aug<31>2005
16:15 Jun 27, 2008
Jkt 214001
may not receive DCP payments if the
sum of the base acres of the farm is 10
acres or less. However, such prohibition
does not apply to a farm that is wholly
owned by socially disadvantaged or
limited resource farmers or ranchers, as
provided by Section 1101 of the 2008
Farm Bill. If the farm is owned by a legal
entity, such as a corporation, each
shareholder, partner, or member of the
entity must be a socially disadvantaged
or limited resource farmer or rancher.
Effective with the date of publication of
this notice, to be assured that producers
on farms with base acres of 10 acres or
less are prohibited from receiving
payments as provided in the 2008 Farm
Bill, Farm Service Agency County
Committees (COC) will not approve
requests for farm combination
reconstitutions of farms having base
acres of 10 acres or less if the request
was received after the date of enactment
of the 2008 Farm Bill (May 22, 2008).
However, as an exception to the above
rule, a farm with a total of 10 base acres
or less may combine with another farm
if one of the farms undergoes a change
in land ownership. To qualify for this
exception the owners of each of the
farms participating in the new
combination must be identical and have
identical shares in both farms.
Subject to subsections (b) and (c) of
section 1108 of the 2008 Farm Bill, for
the purposes of determining the amount
of the counter-cyclical payments to be
paid to the producers on a farm for long
grain rice and medium grain rice under
section 1104 of the 2008 Farm Bill, base
acres on the farm will be apportioned
based on acreage planted to long grain
rice and medium grain rice during the
2003–2006 crop years. Section 1108
requires that base acres, payment acres,
and payment yields established with
respect to rice under sections 1101 and
1102 be maintained. Although these
provisions of the 2008 Farm Bill are
effective for the 2008 crop year, because
of administrative concerns related to the
late date of enactment of the 2008 Farm
Bill, these calculations cannot be
accomplished at this time, as countercyclical payments are not anticipated
for rice in 2008. This should have no
impact. If the situation changes,
measures will be taken to implement
these provisions.
In response to concerns regarding the
sharing of contract payments and
various forms of cash and share leases
(such as traditional cash leases,
traditional share leases, and
combination or flex leases that have
features of both traditional cash and
traditional share leases), an Advance
Notice of Proposed Rulemaking was
issued on September 28, 2007 (72 FR
PO 00000
Frm 00004
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
55105–55108). Accordingly, regulations
will be issued to clarify that for the
purpose of determining payments made
with respect to the 2009 through 2012
crop years, combination or flex leases
will be viewed as cash leases.
The final enrollment date for 2008
DCP is September 30, 2008. A DCP
contract not having all requisite
signatures of producers having more
than a zero share of DCP contract
acreage on or before the enrollment
deadline will not be considered
submitted to CCC for any purpose and
will not be acted on or approved. With
respect to those contracts submitted by
a producer on or before September 30,
2008, that were not signed by other
producers on the farm, DCP payments
will be issued only with respect to the
producers who enrolled prior to
September 30, 2008.
Accordingly, this notice announces
that CCC will implement DCP
provisions for the 2008 crop year based
on the current regulation in 7 CFR 1412,
Direct and Counter-cyclical Program
except as otherwise noted in this Notice
and as otherwise required by the 2008
Farm Bill.
Environmental Review
FSA has determined that this change
would not constitute a major Federal
action that would significantly affect the
quality of the human environment.
Therefore, in accordance with the 7 CFR
799, Environmental Quality and Related
Environmental Concerns—Compliance
with the National Environmental Policy
Act, implementing the regulations of the
Council on Environmental Quality (40
CFR 1500–1508), no environmental
assessment or environmental impact
statement will be prepared.
Signed at Washington, DC, on June 24,
2008.
Glen L. Keppy,
Acting Executive Vice President, Commodity
Credit Corporation.
[FR Doc. E8–14694 Filed 6–27–08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410–05–P
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
International Trade Administration
A–552–801
Certain Frozen Fish Fillets from the
Socialist Republic of Vietnam: Final
Results and Partial Rescission of New
Shipper Reviews
Import Administration,
International Trade Administration,
Department of Commerce.
EFFECTIVE DATE: June 30, 2008.
AGENCY:
E:\FR\FM\30JNN1.SGM
30JNN1
]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 126 (Monday, June 30, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Pages 36839-36840]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-14694]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Commodity Credit Corporation
2008 Direct and Counter-Cyclical Program
AGENCY: Commodity Credit Corporation, USDA.
ACTION: Notice.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: As announced by this notice, the Commodity Credit Corporation
(CCC) is implementing the provisions of the Food, Conservation, and
Energy Act of 2008 (the 2008 Farm Bill) regarding direct and counter-
cyclical payments for the 2008 crop year. The 2008 Farm Bill authorizes
direct and counter-cyclical payments, with some changes, that were
previously authorized for preceding crops under the Farm Security and
Rural Investment Act of 2002 (the 2002 Farm Bill). As a result of this
notice, CCC will be able to commence administration of the Direct and
Counter-cyclical Program (DCP) for the 2008 crop. Through a subsequent
rule, CCC will implement DCP for the 2009 through 2012 crops.
EFFECTIVE DATE: June 30, 2008.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Salomon Ramirez, Director, Production,
Emergencies and Compliance Division, Farm Service Agency, USDA, STOP
0517, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 20250-0517;
telephone: (202) 720-7641; e-mail: salomon.ramirez@wdc.usda.gov.
Persons with disabilities who require alternative means for
communication (Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.) should contact
the USDA Target Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TDD).
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: As explained in this notice, CCC will
operate the 2008 DCP program as required by the 2008 Farm Bill using
the
[[Page 36840]]
standards of 7 CFR 1412 to the extent they are not in conflict with the
2008 Farm Bill and this notice. With a few changes, the Food,
Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 (Pub. L. 110-246) (the 2008 Farm
Bill) authorizes a continuation for the 2008 crop year of the Direct
and Counter-cyclical Program authorized by the Farm Security and Rural
Investment Act of 2002 (the 2002 Farm Bill) and set forth in
regulations at 7 CFR 1412.
Section 1001 of the 2008 Farm Bill provides that the base acres and
yields established by the 2002 Farm Bill that were in effect on
September 30, 2007 will, with a few exceptions, constitute the base
acres for the 2008 through 2012 crop years. The 2008 Farm Bill contains
requirements for adjustments of base acres for various reasons
including, but not limited to, land no longer being devoted to
agricultural uses.
With respect to payment yields, the 2008 Farm Bill provides that
the payment yields for direct and counter cyclical payments under the
2002 Farm Bill, as in effect on September 30, 2007, will be used.
Section 1102 further requires the Secretary to establish a payment
yield for direct and counter-cyclical payments for each farm for any
designated oilseed or eligible pulse crop for which a payment yield was
not established under the 2002 Farm Bill. For new yields, this will
involve a determination of an average yield per planted acre for the
designated oilseed or pulse crop on a farm for the 1998 through 2001
crop years, excluding any crop year in which the acreage planted was
zero. An adjustment to the payment yield will equal the product of the
average yield and the ratio resulting from dividing the national
average yield for the 1981 through 1985 crops by the national average
for the 1998 through 2001 crops. If the yield for a farm for any of the
1998 through 2001 crop years was less than 75 percent of the county
yield, then the Secretary will assign a yield equal to 75 percent of
the county yield to determine the average.
Like with the 2002 Farm Bill, the 2008 Farm Bill sets forth certain
requirements to which the participant must agree to be eligible for
direct and counter-cyclical payments. Included in these requirements is
the requirement to effectively control noxious weeds and otherwise
maintain the land in accordance with sound agricultural practices.
These provisions will continue to be applicable in 2008.
One significant change in the 2008 Farm Bill that was not present
in the 2002 Farm Bill, which will be implemented in 2008, relates to
farms with small bases. A producer on a farm may not receive DCP
payments if the sum of the base acres of the farm is 10 acres or less.
However, such prohibition does not apply to a farm that is wholly owned
by socially disadvantaged or limited resource farmers or ranchers, as
provided by Section 1101 of the 2008 Farm Bill. If the farm is owned by
a legal entity, such as a corporation, each shareholder, partner, or
member of the entity must be a socially disadvantaged or limited
resource farmer or rancher. Effective with the date of publication of
this notice, to be assured that producers on farms with base acres of
10 acres or less are prohibited from receiving payments as provided in
the 2008 Farm Bill, Farm Service Agency County Committees (COC) will
not approve requests for farm combination reconstitutions of farms
having base acres of 10 acres or less if the request was received after
the date of enactment of the 2008 Farm Bill (May 22, 2008). However, as
an exception to the above rule, a farm with a total of 10 base acres or
less may combine with another farm if one of the farms undergoes a
change in land ownership. To qualify for this exception the owners of
each of the farms participating in the new combination must be
identical and have identical shares in both farms.
Subject to subsections (b) and (c) of section 1108 of the 2008 Farm
Bill, for the purposes of determining the amount of the counter-
cyclical payments to be paid to the producers on a farm for long grain
rice and medium grain rice under section 1104 of the 2008 Farm Bill,
base acres on the farm will be apportioned based on acreage planted to
long grain rice and medium grain rice during the 2003-2006 crop years.
Section 1108 requires that base acres, payment acres, and payment
yields established with respect to rice under sections 1101 and 1102 be
maintained. Although these provisions of the 2008 Farm Bill are
effective for the 2008 crop year, because of administrative concerns
related to the late date of enactment of the 2008 Farm Bill, these
calculations cannot be accomplished at this time, as counter-cyclical
payments are not anticipated for rice in 2008. This should have no
impact. If the situation changes, measures will be taken to implement
these provisions.
In response to concerns regarding the sharing of contract payments
and various forms of cash and share leases (such as traditional cash
leases, traditional share leases, and combination or flex leases that
have features of both traditional cash and traditional share leases),
an Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking was issued on September 28,
2007 (72 FR 55105-55108). Accordingly, regulations will be issued to
clarify that for the purpose of determining payments made with respect
to the 2009 through 2012 crop years, combination or flex leases will be
viewed as cash leases.
The final enrollment date for 2008 DCP is September 30, 2008. A DCP
contract not having all requisite signatures of producers having more
than a zero share of DCP contract acreage on or before the enrollment
deadline will not be considered submitted to CCC for any purpose and
will not be acted on or approved. With respect to those contracts
submitted by a producer on or before September 30, 2008, that were not
signed by other producers on the farm, DCP payments will be issued only
with respect to the producers who enrolled prior to September 30, 2008.
Accordingly, this notice announces that CCC will implement DCP
provisions for the 2008 crop year based on the current regulation in 7
CFR 1412, Direct and Counter-cyclical Program except as otherwise noted
in this Notice and as otherwise required by the 2008 Farm Bill.
Environmental Review
FSA has determined that this change would not constitute a major
Federal action that would significantly affect the quality of the human
environment. Therefore, in accordance with the 7 CFR 799, Environmental
Quality and Related Environmental Concerns--Compliance with the
National Environmental Policy Act, implementing the regulations of the
Council on Environmental Quality (40 CFR 1500-1508), no environmental
assessment or environmental impact statement will be prepared.
Signed at Washington, DC, on June 24, 2008.
Glen L. Keppy,
Acting Executive Vice President, Commodity Credit Corporation.
[FR Doc. E8-14694 Filed 6-27-08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-05-P
