Request for Public Comment on Services Currently Offered or Needed To Facilitate the Marketing of Grain and Related Products, 2838-2839 [2016-00847]
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Federal Register / Vol. 81, No. 11 / Tuesday, January 19, 2016 / Notices
6522), and its implementing regulations
are also acceptable. As with any
alternative compliance approach, the
NOP strongly encourages industry to
discuss alternative approaches with the
NOP before implementing them to avoid
unnecessary or wasteful expenditures of
resources, and to ensure the proposed
alternative approach complies with the
OFPA and its implementing regulations.
Electronic Access
Persons with access to Internet may
obtain the final guidance at the NOP’s
Web site at https://www.ams.usda.gov/
nop. Request for hard copies of the final
guidance document can be obtained by
submitting a written request to the
person listed in the FOR FURTHER
INFORMATION CONTACT section of this
Notice.
Authority: 7 U.S.C. 6501–6522.
Dated: January 13, 2016.
Erin Morris,
Associate Administrator, Agricultural
Marketing Service.
[FR Doc. 2016–00862 Filed 1–15–16; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410–02–P
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Grain Inspection, Packers and
Stockyards Administration
Request for Public Comment on
Services Currently Offered or Needed
To Facilitate the Marketing of Grain
and Related Products
Grain Inspection, Packers and
Stockyards Administration, USDA.
ACTION: Request for Information.
AGENCY:
The U.S. Department of
Agriculture’s (USDA) Grain Inspection,
Packers and Stockyards Administration
(GIPSA) is informing the public that it
is soliciting comments to ensure that
current services reflect market needs to
facilitate the marketing of grain and
related commodities. Specifically,
GIPSA is inviting comments from
producers, handlers, processors, food
manufacturers, exporters, importers,
consumers, scientists, academicians,
industry stakeholders, and other
interested persons on how GIPSA can
best facilitate the marketing of grains,
oilseeds, rice, pulses, and related
products or products made from them,
including co-products of ethanol
production, commonly referred to as
distillers’ grains, based on marketidentified quality attributes. To ensure
that standards and official grading
practices remain relevant in the market,
GIPSA invites interested parties to
comment on the relevance of current
asabaliauskas on DSK5VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES
SUMMARY:
VerDate Sep<11>2014
17:50 Jan 15, 2016
Jkt 238001
standards, methods, and grading
practices, and on potential market needs
for new standards or services.
Comments must be received on
or before April 18, 2016.
DATES:
You may submit your
written or electronic comments on this
notice to:
• Mail: R. Dexter Thomas, GIPSA,
USDA, 1400 Independence Avenue
SW., Room 2530, Washington, DC
20250–3604.
• Fax: (202) 690–2173
• Internet: Go to https://
www.regulations.gov and follow the online instruction for submitting
comments.
Instructions: All comments will
become a matter of public record and
should be identified as ‘‘U.S. Services
Offered for Grains Notice Comments,’’
making reference to the date and page
number of this issue of the Federal
Register. All comments received
become the property of the Federal
government, are made a part of the
public record, and will generally be
posted to www.regulations.gov without
change. Comments may also be viewed
in the above office during regular
business hours (7 CFR 1.27(b)). Please
call the GIPSA Management Support
Staff at (202) 720–6529 to make an
appointment to read comments
received. If you send a comment
directly to GIPSA without going through
www.regulations.gov, or you submit a
comment to GIPSA via fax, the
originating address or telephone number
will be captured automatically and
included as part of the comment that is
placed in the public docket and made
available on the Internet. Also, all
personal identifying information (for
example, name, address, etc.)
voluntarily submitted by the commenter
may be publicly accessible. Do not
submit confidential business
information or otherwise sensitive or
protected information.
Electronic submissions should avoid
the use of special characters, avoid any
form of encryption, and be free of any
defects or viruses, since these may
prevent GIPSA from being able to read
and understand, and thus consider your
comment.
ADDRESSES:
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Anthony Goodeman at GIPSA, USDA,
1400 Independence Avenue SW.,
Washington, DC, 20250; Telephone
(202)–720–0228; Fax Number (202) 720–
1015; email Anthony.T.Goodeman@
usda.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
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Background
Under the authority of the United
States Grain Standards Act, as amended,
and the Agricultural Marketing Act of
1946, as amended, GIPSA establishes
standards for grains, oilseeds, rice,
pulses, and related graded and
processed commodities, regarding kind,
class, quality and condition. The
standards facilitate marketing and
define U.S. grain and commodity
quality in the domestic and global
marketplace. The standards define
commonly used industry terms; contain
basic principles governing the
application of standards, such as the
type of sample used for a particular
quality analysis; specify grades, grade
requirements, special grades; and
special grade requirements. Official
procedures for determining grading
factors are provided in GIPSA’s
Inspection Handbooks, which also
include standardized procedures for
additional quality attributes not used to
determine grade, such as protein
content and falling number. Together,
the grade standards and inspection
procedures allow buyers and sellers to
communicate quality requirements,
compare quality using equivalent forms
of measurement, and assist in price
discovery.
GIPSA periodically reviews the
standards to ensure they reflect
marketplace needs. In 2007, when the
U.S. ethanol industry was expanding
rapidly, GIPSA issued an Advance
Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (ANPR)
titled ‘‘The Role of USDA in
Differentiating Grain Inputs for Ethanol
Production and Standardizing Testing of
the Co- Products of Ethanol Production’’
(72 FR 39762). The ANPR sought
comments from the marketplace asking
if there were any additional services
GIPSA should offer to facilitate the
marketing of ethanol co-products.
Commenters overwhelmingly agreed
that GIPSA should not intervene in
standardizing testing of ethanol inputs
and outputs. Commenters did state that
an appropriate role for GIPSA was to
continue approving rapid test kits for
determining the concentration of
mycotoxins. Accordingly, GIPSA did
not initiate any rulemaking action
related to the matters presented in the
ANPR. However, GIPSA did agree to
monitor the industry and remain
actively engaged with the ethanol and
co-product markets and to support the
industry, as appropriate, in its efforts to
successfully market ethanol coproducts. Further, GIPSA has continued
to approve rapid test kits for
mycotoxins.
E:\FR\FM\19JAN1.SGM
19JAN1
asabaliauskas on DSK5VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES
Federal Register / Vol. 81, No. 11 / Tuesday, January 19, 2016 / Notices
The production of distillers’ grains
has continued to grow in recent years
concurrent with increased ethanol
production. GIPSA will broadly refer to
‘‘distillers’ grains’’ as being any of the
plethora of co-products generated by
dry-mill ethanol plants, including
distillers’ wet grains (DWG), distillers’
dried grains (DDG), distillers’ wet grains
with solubles (DWGS), distillers’ dried
grains with solubles (DDGS), and
condensed distillers’ solubles (CDS),
unless otherwise specified. According to
USDA’s Economic Research Service, the
United States produced an estimated
44.6 million metric tons of DDGS in the
2014/15 crop year, compared to 12.4
million metric tons of DDGS in 2006/07,
when GIPSA’s previous ANPR was first
published. Increasing supply, two years
of higher prices for competing feeds
(soybean meal and corn), and successful
foreign market development efforts by
USDA and trade associations have led to
a surge in DDGS exports from the
United States. Exports now constitute
nearly 25 percent of domestic DDGS
production, totaling 11.0 million metric
tons in the 2014/15 crop year, compared
to exports of only 14.5 percent of
production, totaling 1.8 million metric
tons in 2006/07.
In order for U.S. standards and
grading procedures to remain relevant,
GIPSA is issuing this Request for
Information to invite interested parties
to submit comments, ideas, and
recommendations on GIPSA’s role in
the marketing of grain, oilseeds, and
related agricultural products, including
distillers’ grains. All interested persons
are specifically encouraged to comment
on the following issues related to this
notice:
1. Are there any market-identified
quality attributes that GIPSA does not
currently describe (or provide testing)
that would facilitate the marketing of
grain, oilseeds, and related products?
2. What role should GIPSA take, if
any, in standardizing the testing of
inputs and outputs of ethanol coproduct processing? Has anything
changed in the marketing of ethanol and
ethanol co-products since GIPSA’s last
ANPR in 2007 related to
standardization, product description, or
quality assessment?
3. Are there any other services that
GIPSA could offer to facilitate the
marketing of grain, oilseeds, or related
products?
VerDate Sep<11>2014
17:50 Jan 15, 2016
Jkt 238001
Authority: 7 U.S.C. 71–87K; 7 U.S.C.
1621–1638D
Larry Mitchell,
Administrator, Grain Inspection, Packers and
Stockyards Administration.
[FR Doc. 2016–00847 Filed 1–15–16; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410–KD–P
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
National Agricultural Statistics Service
Submission for OMB Review;
Comment Request
January 13, 2016.
The Department of Agriculture has
submitted the following information
collection requirement(s) to OMB for
review and clearance under the
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995,
Public Law 104–13. Comments are
requested regarding: (1) 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) the accuracy of the
agency’s estimate of burden including
the validity of the methodology and
assumptions used; (3) ways to enhance
the quality, utility and clarity of the
information to be collected; (4) ways to
minimize the burden of the collection of
information on those who are to
respond, including through the use of
appropriate automated, electronic,
mechanical or other technological
collection techniques or other forms of
information technology.
Comments regarding this information
collection received by February 18, 2016
will be considered. Written comments
should be addressed to: Desk Officer for
Agriculture, Office of Information and
Regulatory Affairs, Office of
Management and Budget (OMB), New
Executive Office Building, 725—17th
Street NW., Washington, DC, 20503.
Commenters are encouraged to submit
their comments to OMB via email to:
OIRA_Submission@omb.eop.gov or fax
(202) 395–5806 and to Departmental
Clearance Office, USDA, OCIO, Mail
Stop 7602, Washington, DC 20250–
7602. Copies of the submission(s) may
be obtained by calling (202) 720–8681.
An agency may not conduct or
sponsor a collection of information
unless the collection of information
displays a currently valid OMB control
number and the agency informs
potential persons who are to respond to
the collection of information that such
persons are not required to respond to
the collection of information unless it
displays a currently valid OMB control
number.
PO 00000
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2839
National Agricultural Statistics Service
Title: Local Food Marketing Practices
Survey
OMB Control Number: 0535–NEW
Summary of Collection: Data will be
collected under the authority of 7 U.S.C.
2204(a). Section 10016(a)(1)(A) of the
2014 Farm Bill (Public Law 113–79)
directs the Department of Agriculture
(USDA) to collect data on ‘‘the
production and marketing of locally or
regionally produced agricultural food
products,’’ while Section 10016(b)(2)
requires USDA to ‘‘conduct surveys and
analysis and publish reports relating to
the production, handling, distribution,
retail sales, and trend studies. . . of or
on locally or regionally produced
agricultural food products.’’ The survey
will gather data on production, risk
management, and marketing practices.
Contingent upon the availability of
funding, the Local Foods Survey will be
a Census follow-on-survey.
Need and Use of the Information: A
growing interest in support of local
agricultural economies through the
purchase of foods from sources that are
geographically close to the consuming
areas, via channels that are direct from
farm to consumer or at most one step
removed. The institution of the USDA
Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food
Initiative was designed to eliminate
organizational barriers to improve
coordination and availability of
resources for the promotion of local
food systems. The primary purpose of
the survey is to produce benchmark
statistics on the number of operations
that produce local foods, the value of
local foods sales (in total and by specific
marketing channel), and marketing
practices and expenses. Farms in all 50
states will be asked to provide these
data. Statistics from this survey will be
used by state agencies to better
understand, support, and promote their
local food markets, as well as by
researchers studying local foods.
Description of Respondents: Farmers
and Ranchers.
Number of Respondents: 28,000.
Frequency of Responses: Reporting:
Annually.
Total Burden Hours: 21,000.
Charlene Parker,
Departmental Information Collection
Clearance Officer.
[FR Doc. 2016–00914 Filed 1–15–16; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410–20–P
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19JAN1
Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 11 (Tuesday, January 19, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 2838-2839]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-00847]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards Administration
Request for Public Comment on Services Currently Offered or
Needed To Facilitate the Marketing of Grain and Related Products
AGENCY: Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards Administration, USDA.
ACTION: Request for Information.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: The U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Grain Inspection,
Packers and Stockyards Administration (GIPSA) is informing the public
that it is soliciting comments to ensure that current services reflect
market needs to facilitate the marketing of grain and related
commodities. Specifically, GIPSA is inviting comments from producers,
handlers, processors, food manufacturers, exporters, importers,
consumers, scientists, academicians, industry stakeholders, and other
interested persons on how GIPSA can best facilitate the marketing of
grains, oilseeds, rice, pulses, and related products or products made
from them, including co-products of ethanol production, commonly
referred to as distillers' grains, based on market-identified quality
attributes. To ensure that standards and official grading practices
remain relevant in the market, GIPSA invites interested parties to
comment on the relevance of current standards, methods, and grading
practices, and on potential market needs for new standards or services.
DATES: Comments must be received on or before April 18, 2016.
ADDRESSES: You may submit your written or electronic comments on this
notice to:
Mail: R. Dexter Thomas, GIPSA, USDA, 1400 Independence
Avenue SW., Room 2530, Washington, DC 20250-3604.
Fax: (202) 690-2173
Internet: Go to https://www.regulations.gov and follow the
on-line instruction for submitting comments.
Instructions: All comments will become a matter of public record
and should be identified as ``U.S. Services Offered for Grains Notice
Comments,'' making reference to the date and page number of this issue
of the Federal Register. All comments received become the property of
the Federal government, are made a part of the public record, and will
generally be posted to www.regulations.gov without change. Comments may
also be viewed in the above office during regular business hours (7 CFR
1.27(b)). Please call the GIPSA Management Support Staff at (202) 720-
6529 to make an appointment to read comments received. If you send a
comment directly to GIPSA without going through www.regulations.gov, or
you submit a comment to GIPSA via fax, the originating address or
telephone number will be captured automatically and included as part of
the comment that is placed in the public docket and made available on
the Internet. Also, all personal identifying information (for example,
name, address, etc.) voluntarily submitted by the commenter may be
publicly accessible. Do not submit confidential business information or
otherwise sensitive or protected information.
Electronic submissions should avoid the use of special characters,
avoid any form of encryption, and be free of any defects or viruses,
since these may prevent GIPSA from being able to read and understand,
and thus consider your comment.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Anthony Goodeman at GIPSA, USDA, 1400
Independence Avenue SW., Washington, DC, 20250; Telephone (202)-720-
0228; Fax Number (202) 720-1015; email Anthony.T.Goodeman@usda.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
Under the authority of the United States Grain Standards Act, as
amended, and the Agricultural Marketing Act of 1946, as amended, GIPSA
establishes standards for grains, oilseeds, rice, pulses, and related
graded and processed commodities, regarding kind, class, quality and
condition. The standards facilitate marketing and define U.S. grain and
commodity quality in the domestic and global marketplace. The standards
define commonly used industry terms; contain basic principles governing
the application of standards, such as the type of sample used for a
particular quality analysis; specify grades, grade requirements,
special grades; and special grade requirements. Official procedures for
determining grading factors are provided in GIPSA's Inspection
Handbooks, which also include standardized procedures for additional
quality attributes not used to determine grade, such as protein content
and falling number. Together, the grade standards and inspection
procedures allow buyers and sellers to communicate quality
requirements, compare quality using equivalent forms of measurement,
and assist in price discovery.
GIPSA periodically reviews the standards to ensure they reflect
marketplace needs. In 2007, when the U.S. ethanol industry was
expanding rapidly, GIPSA issued an Advance Notice of Proposed
Rulemaking (ANPR) titled ``The Role of USDA in Differentiating Grain
Inputs for Ethanol Production and Standardizing Testing of the Co-
Products of Ethanol Production'' (72 FR 39762). The ANPR sought
comments from the marketplace asking if there were any additional
services GIPSA should offer to facilitate the marketing of ethanol co-
products. Commenters overwhelmingly agreed that GIPSA should not
intervene in standardizing testing of ethanol inputs and outputs.
Commenters did state that an appropriate role for GIPSA was to continue
approving rapid test kits for determining the concentration of
mycotoxins. Accordingly, GIPSA did not initiate any rulemaking action
related to the matters presented in the ANPR. However, GIPSA did agree
to monitor the industry and remain actively engaged with the ethanol
and co-product markets and to support the industry, as appropriate, in
its efforts to successfully market ethanol co-products. Further, GIPSA
has continued to approve rapid test kits for mycotoxins.
[[Page 2839]]
The production of distillers' grains has continued to grow in
recent years concurrent with increased ethanol production. GIPSA will
broadly refer to ``distillers' grains'' as being any of the plethora of
co-products generated by dry-mill ethanol plants, including distillers'
wet grains (DWG), distillers' dried grains (DDG), distillers' wet
grains with solubles (DWGS), distillers' dried grains with solubles
(DDGS), and condensed distillers' solubles (CDS), unless otherwise
specified. According to USDA's Economic Research Service, the United
States produced an estimated 44.6 million metric tons of DDGS in the
2014/15 crop year, compared to 12.4 million metric tons of DDGS in
2006/07, when GIPSA's previous ANPR was first published. Increasing
supply, two years of higher prices for competing feeds (soybean meal
and corn), and successful foreign market development efforts by USDA
and trade associations have led to a surge in DDGS exports from the
United States. Exports now constitute nearly 25 percent of domestic
DDGS production, totaling 11.0 million metric tons in the 2014/15 crop
year, compared to exports of only 14.5 percent of production, totaling
1.8 million metric tons in 2006/07.
In order for U.S. standards and grading procedures to remain
relevant, GIPSA is issuing this Request for Information to invite
interested parties to submit comments, ideas, and recommendations on
GIPSA's role in the marketing of grain, oilseeds, and related
agricultural products, including distillers' grains. All interested
persons are specifically encouraged to comment on the following issues
related to this notice:
1. Are there any market-identified quality attributes that GIPSA
does not currently describe (or provide testing) that would facilitate
the marketing of grain, oilseeds, and related products?
2. What role should GIPSA take, if any, in standardizing the
testing of inputs and outputs of ethanol co-product processing? Has
anything changed in the marketing of ethanol and ethanol co-products
since GIPSA's last ANPR in 2007 related to standardization, product
description, or quality assessment?
3. Are there any other services that GIPSA could offer to
facilitate the marketing of grain, oilseeds, or related products?
Authority: 7 U.S.C. 71-87K; 7 U.S.C. 1621-1638D
Larry Mitchell,
Administrator, Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards Administration.
[FR Doc. 2016-00847 Filed 1-15-16; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-KD-P