Cotton Research and Promotion Program: Determination of Whether To Conduct a Referendum Regarding 1990 Amendments to the Cotton Research and Promotion Act, 82426-82427 [2020-27877]
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Notices
Federal Register
Vol. 85, No. 244
Friday, December 18, 2020
This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER
contains documents other than rules or
proposed rules that are applicable to the
public. Notices of hearings and investigations,
committee meetings, agency decisions and
rulings, delegations of authority, filing of
petitions and applications and agency
statements of organization and functions are
examples of documents appearing in this
section.
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Agricultural Marketing Service
[Doc. No. AMS–CN–20–0091]
Cotton Research and Promotion
Program: Determination of Whether To
Conduct a Referendum Regarding
1990 Amendments to the Cotton
Research and Promotion Act
Agricultural Marketing Service,
USDA.
ACTION: Notice.
AGENCY:
This notice announces the
Department’s determination, based on a
review by the Agricultural Marketing
Service, that it is not necessary to
conduct a referendum among producers
and importers on continuation of the
1990 amendments to the Cotton
Research and Promotion Act. The 1990
amendments require the Secretary of
Agriculture to conduct a review to
determine whether to hold a
continuance referendum. Although
USDA is of the view that a referendum
is not needed, it will initiate a sign-up
period, as required by the Act, to allow
cotton producers and importers the
opportunity to request a continuance
referendum.
SUMMARY:
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FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Shethir M. Riva, Director, Research and
Promotion Division, Cotton and
Tobacco Program, AMS, USDA, 100
Riverside Parkway, Suite 101,
Fredericksburg, Virginia, 22406,
telephone (540) 361–2726, or email at
CottonRP@usda.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In July
1991, the Agricultural Marketing
Service (AMS) implemented the 1990
amendments to the Cotton Research and
Promotion Act (7 U.S.C. 2101–2118)
(Act). These amendments provided for:
(1) Importer representation on the
Cotton Board by an appropriate number
of persons—to be determined by the
Secretary—who import cotton or cotton
VerDate Sep<11>2014
22:22 Dec 17, 2020
Jkt 253001
products into the United States (U.S.)
and are selected by the Secretary from
nominations submitted by importer
organizations certified by the Secretary
of Agriculture; (2) assessments levied on
imported cotton and cotton products at
a rate determined in the same manner
as for U.S. cotton; (3) increasing the
amount the Secretary can be reimbursed
for conducting a referendum from
$200,000 to $300,000; (4) reimbursing
government agencies who assist in
administering the collection of
assessments on imported cotton and
cotton products; and (5) terminating the
right of producers to demand an
assessment refund.
Results of the initial July 1991
referendum showed that of the 46,220
valid ballots received, 27,879 or 60
percent of the persons voted in favor of
the amendments to the Cotton Research
and Promotion Order (7 CFR part 1205)
(Order) and 18,341 or 40 percent
opposed the amendments. AMS
developed implementing regulations for
the import assessment effective July 31,
1992 (57 FR 29181); the elimination of
the producer refund effective July 31,
1992 (57 FR 29181); and provided for
importer representation on the Cotton
Board effective December 21, 1991 (56
FR 65979).
USDA conducted previous reviews of
the 1990 amendments, and for each
review, the Department prepared reports
that described the impact of the Cotton
Research and Promotion Program on the
cotton industry and the views of those
receiving its benefits. Following each
review, USDA announced its decision
not to conduct a referendum regarding
the amendments to the Order (61 FR
52772, 67 FR 1714, 72 FR 9918, and 78
FR 32228, respectively) and
subsequently held sign-up periods,
affording all eligible persons to request
a continuance referendum on the 1990
Act amendments. The results of each
sign-up period did not meet the criteria
as established by the Act for a
continuance referendum and, therefore,
referenda were not conducted.
In 2017, USDA solicited comments
from all interested parties, including
persons who pay the assessments, as
well as from organizations representing
cotton producers and importers
regarding whether they favor the
continuation of the amendments to the
Cotton Research and Promotion Order
(82 FR 11892). Three comments, which
PO 00000
Frm 00001
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
included comments from two certified
producer organizations that nominate
producers to the Board, voiced strong
support for the continuance of the
program and noted that the programs
and administration of the Cotton
Research and Promotion Act have been
beneficial, carries out the intent and
purpose, and that there should be no
referendum.
USDA has reviewed the Cotton
Research and Promotion Program major
program activities and
accomplishments, including evaluations
of advertising and marketing activities
and other functional areas; the results of
producer and importer awareness and
satisfaction surveys; and data from the
Foreign Agricultural Service. USDA also
reviewed the results of the Cotton
Board’s 2016 independent program
evaluation, which assessed the
effectiveness of the Cotton Research and
Promotion Program; the strength of
cotton’s competitive position; the ability
to maintain and expand domestic and
foreign markets; increases in the number
of uses for cotton; and estimates of a
return on investment for stakeholders
and qualitative benefits and returns
associated with the Cotton Research and
Promotion Program.
In 2020, the Department prepared a 5year report that described the impact of
the Cotton Research and Promotion
Program on the cotton industry. The
review report is available upon written
request to the Research and Promotion
Staff at the address and email provided
above. The review report concluded that
the 1990 amendments to the Act were
successfully implemented and are
operating as intended. The report also
noted that there is a general consensus
within the cotton industry that the
Cotton Research and Promotion Program
and the 1990 amendments to the Act are
operating as intended. Written
comments, economic data, and results
from independent evaluations support
this conclusion.
Although USDA found no compelling
reason to conduct a referendum
regarding the 1990 Act amendments to
the Cotton Research and Promotion
Order, some program participants
support a referendum. Therefore, USDA
will initiate a sign-up period in
accordance with the Act. During this
sign-up period, eligible producers and
importers may sign-up to request such
a referendum through USDA, or by
E:\FR\FM\18DEN1.SGM
18DEN1
Federal Register / Vol. 85, No. 244 / Friday, December 18, 2020 / Notices
mailing such a request. The Secretary
will conduct a referendum if requested
by 10 percent or more of the number of
cotton producers and importers voting
in the most recent referendum (July
1991), with not more than 20 percent of
such request from producers in one state
or importers of cotton.
Current procedures for the conduct of
a sign-up period appear at 7 CFR
1205.10–1205.30. These procedures will
be updated as appropriate prior to the
beginning of the sign-up period.
Authority: 7 U.S.C. 2101–2118.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Bruce Summers,
Administrator, Agricultural Marketing
Service.
Thomas A. Weber, Analytical Chemistry
Branch Chief, Technology and Science
Division, Federal Grain Inspection
Service, AMS, USDA, 816–891–0449,
Thomas.A.Weber@usda.gov.
[FR Doc. 2020–27877 Filed 12–17–20; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE P
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Agricultural Marketing Service
[Doc No. AMS–FGIS–20–0061]
Mycotoxin Test Kit Design
Specifications and Performance
Criteria
Agricultural Marketing Service,
USDA.
ACTION: Notice; request for comments.
AGENCY:
The United States Department
of Agriculture’s (USDA) Agricultural
Marketing Service (AMS) evaluates the
conformance of mycotoxin test kits to
AMS-established design specifications
and performance criteria. Only test kits
that conform to all of the AMS
requirements are approved for the
official testing of grains and related
commodities. AMS proposes to make
several changes to the existing test kit
criteria to improve testing services and
better facilitate domestic and
international trade. AMS is seeking
public comment on the proposed
changes to the criteria.
DATES: Comments are due by January
19, 2021.
ADDRESSES: The current criteria
documents subject to the changes in this
notice are available for review at https://
www.ams.usda.gov/services/fgis/
standardization/tke. Additional
technical information regarding the
proposed changes can be found at
https://www.ams.usda.gov/sites/default/
files/media/technical-doc-frn-ams-fgis20-0061.pdf.
To submit Comments: Go to
Regulations.gov (https://
www.regulations.gov). Instructions for
submitting and reading comments are
detailed on the site. Interested persons
are invited to submit written comments
khammond on DSKJM1Z7X2PROD with NOTICES
SUMMARY:
VerDate Sep<11>2014
22:22 Dec 17, 2020
Jkt 253001
concerning this notice. All comments
must be submitted through the Federal
e-rulemaking portal at https://
www.regulations.gov and should
reference the document number and the
date and page number of this issue of
the Federal Register. All comments
submitted in response to this notice will
be included in the record and will be
made available to the public. Please be
advised that the identity of the
individuals or entities submitting
comments will be made public on the
internet at the address provided above.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Mycotoxins are toxic chemicals
produced by certain fungal species
under favorable environmental
conditions. Regulators have set
maximum allowable concentration
levels for specific mycotoxins in food
and feed to ensure the safety of
consumers. Mycotoxin levels are a
critical factor in the trade of grain and
quantitative mycotoxin testing is an
integral part of buyer-seller contract
specifications.
Under the authority of the United
States Grains Standards Act (7 U.S.C.
71–87k), as amended, and the
Agricultural Marketing Act of 1946 (7
U.S.C. 1621–1627), as amended, AMS
provides official mycotoxin testing
services throughout the United States
for domestic and export grains, oilseeds,
and processed-grain commodities.
Official testing services are provided for
aflatoxins, deoxynivalenol, fumonisins,
ochratoxin A, and zearalenone. Testing
at field locations requires rapid,
inexpensive, and accurate methods to
effectively assess US grain quality. An
essential part of ensuring the quality of
official mycotoxin testing is the AMS
test kit evaluation program, through
which test kits are evaluated and
certified for conformance to specific
criteria. Only test kits having AMS
certification are approved for official
mycotoxin testing.
AMS establishes the test kit
performance criteria and periodically
updates them to improve testing
accuracy and to meet the official
mycotoxin testing program’s operational
needs. AMS last updated the criteria in
2016. AMS proposes to update the test
kit performance criteria with the
following changes in 2021. AMS is
seeking comments on the impact of
making these changes.
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Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
82427
Minimum Ranges of Conformance
For each mycotoxin, AMS has
established a minimum range of
concentrations that must be covered in
the test kit’s scope. The test kit must
conform to the AMS accuracy
requirements throughout this range.
AMS proposes to expand the minimum
ranges of conformance for fumonisins,
ochratoxin A, and zearalenone test kits
to meet the current and anticipated
testing needs of the grain industry.
The US Food and Drug
Administration has set the highest
industry guidance level for fumonisins
in corn at 100 parts-per-million (ppm).
As a result, AMS proposes to expand
the current minimum range of
conformance from 0.50–30 ppm to 0.50–
100 ppm so that it includes this highest
guidance level.
Since the measurement of mycotoxin
concentrations is not exact, multiple
measurements will have results that
vary by some amount. To ensure a
mycotoxin concentration is below the
maximum level allowed, there is a need
to measure sufficiently below that level,
considering the expected variation in
results. For this reason, AMS proposes
to expand the minimum ranges of
conformance for ochratoxin A and
zearalenone test kits to lower
concentrations than currently required.
Codex Alimentarius, an
internationally recognized food safety
standard setting body, recommends a
maximum of 5 parts-per-billion (ppb)
ochratoxin A in wheat, barley, and rye.
Therefore, AMS proposes to expand the
minimum range of conformance for
ochratoxin A from 5.0–100 ppb to 1.0–
100 ppb. AMS is interested in
comments on whether the maximum
conformance limit should also be
changed from 100 ppb to 20 ppb,
resulting in a narrower minimum range
of conformance (i.e., 1.0–20 ppb).
International regulators, including the
European Union (EU) have established
maximum levels for zearalenone at 100
ppb in cereals and other grains. To test
sufficiently below this regulatory limit,
AMS proposes to expand the minimum
range of conformance from 100–1000
ppb to 20–1000 ppb.
Evaluation of Mycotoxin Test Kit
Accuracy
To evaluate test kit accuracy, AMS
requires analyses of reference materials
to be performed at different
concentrations across the range of
conformance. At least 95% of these
individual results must be within the
acceptable range for each of the tested
concentrations to meet AMS accuracy
requirements. AMS proposes to change
E:\FR\FM\18DEN1.SGM
18DEN1
]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 244 (Friday, December 18, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Pages 82426-82427]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-27877]
========================================================================
Notices
Federal Register
________________________________________________________________________
This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER contains documents other than rules
or proposed rules that are applicable to the public. Notices of hearings
and investigations, committee meetings, agency decisions and rulings,
delegations of authority, filing of petitions and applications and agency
statements of organization and functions are examples of documents
appearing in this section.
========================================================================
Federal Register / Vol. 85, No. 244 / Friday, December 18, 2020 /
Notices
[[Page 82426]]
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Agricultural Marketing Service
[Doc. No. AMS-CN-20-0091]
Cotton Research and Promotion Program: Determination of Whether
To Conduct a Referendum Regarding 1990 Amendments to the Cotton
Research and Promotion Act
AGENCY: Agricultural Marketing Service, USDA.
ACTION: Notice.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: This notice announces the Department's determination, based on
a review by the Agricultural Marketing Service, that it is not
necessary to conduct a referendum among producers and importers on
continuation of the 1990 amendments to the Cotton Research and
Promotion Act. The 1990 amendments require the Secretary of Agriculture
to conduct a review to determine whether to hold a continuance
referendum. Although USDA is of the view that a referendum is not
needed, it will initiate a sign-up period, as required by the Act, to
allow cotton producers and importers the opportunity to request a
continuance referendum.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Shethir M. Riva, Director, Research
and Promotion Division, Cotton and Tobacco Program, AMS, USDA, 100
Riverside Parkway, Suite 101, Fredericksburg, Virginia, 22406,
telephone (540) 361-2726, or email at [email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In July 1991, the Agricultural Marketing
Service (AMS) implemented the 1990 amendments to the Cotton Research
and Promotion Act (7 U.S.C. 2101-2118) (Act). These amendments provided
for: (1) Importer representation on the Cotton Board by an appropriate
number of persons--to be determined by the Secretary--who import cotton
or cotton products into the United States (U.S.) and are selected by
the Secretary from nominations submitted by importer organizations
certified by the Secretary of Agriculture; (2) assessments levied on
imported cotton and cotton products at a rate determined in the same
manner as for U.S. cotton; (3) increasing the amount the Secretary can
be reimbursed for conducting a referendum from $200,000 to $300,000;
(4) reimbursing government agencies who assist in administering the
collection of assessments on imported cotton and cotton products; and
(5) terminating the right of producers to demand an assessment refund.
Results of the initial July 1991 referendum showed that of the
46,220 valid ballots received, 27,879 or 60 percent of the persons
voted in favor of the amendments to the Cotton Research and Promotion
Order (7 CFR part 1205) (Order) and 18,341 or 40 percent opposed the
amendments. AMS developed implementing regulations for the import
assessment effective July 31, 1992 (57 FR 29181); the elimination of
the producer refund effective July 31, 1992 (57 FR 29181); and provided
for importer representation on the Cotton Board effective December 21,
1991 (56 FR 65979).
USDA conducted previous reviews of the 1990 amendments, and for
each review, the Department prepared reports that described the impact
of the Cotton Research and Promotion Program on the cotton industry and
the views of those receiving its benefits. Following each review, USDA
announced its decision not to conduct a referendum regarding the
amendments to the Order (61 FR 52772, 67 FR 1714, 72 FR 9918, and 78 FR
32228, respectively) and subsequently held sign-up periods, affording
all eligible persons to request a continuance referendum on the 1990
Act amendments. The results of each sign-up period did not meet the
criteria as established by the Act for a continuance referendum and,
therefore, referenda were not conducted.
In 2017, USDA solicited comments from all interested parties,
including persons who pay the assessments, as well as from
organizations representing cotton producers and importers regarding
whether they favor the continuation of the amendments to the Cotton
Research and Promotion Order (82 FR 11892). Three comments, which
included comments from two certified producer organizations that
nominate producers to the Board, voiced strong support for the
continuance of the program and noted that the programs and
administration of the Cotton Research and Promotion Act have been
beneficial, carries out the intent and purpose, and that there should
be no referendum.
USDA has reviewed the Cotton Research and Promotion Program major
program activities and accomplishments, including evaluations of
advertising and marketing activities and other functional areas; the
results of producer and importer awareness and satisfaction surveys;
and data from the Foreign Agricultural Service. USDA also reviewed the
results of the Cotton Board's 2016 independent program evaluation,
which assessed the effectiveness of the Cotton Research and Promotion
Program; the strength of cotton's competitive position; the ability to
maintain and expand domestic and foreign markets; increases in the
number of uses for cotton; and estimates of a return on investment for
stakeholders and qualitative benefits and returns associated with the
Cotton Research and Promotion Program.
In 2020, the Department prepared a 5-year report that described the
impact of the Cotton Research and Promotion Program on the cotton
industry. The review report is available upon written request to the
Research and Promotion Staff at the address and email provided above.
The review report concluded that the 1990 amendments to the Act were
successfully implemented and are operating as intended. The report also
noted that there is a general consensus within the cotton industry that
the Cotton Research and Promotion Program and the 1990 amendments to
the Act are operating as intended. Written comments, economic data, and
results from independent evaluations support this conclusion.
Although USDA found no compelling reason to conduct a referendum
regarding the 1990 Act amendments to the Cotton Research and Promotion
Order, some program participants support a referendum. Therefore, USDA
will initiate a sign-up period in accordance with the Act. During this
sign-up period, eligible producers and importers may sign-up to request
such a referendum through USDA, or by
[[Page 82427]]
mailing such a request. The Secretary will conduct a referendum if
requested by 10 percent or more of the number of cotton producers and
importers voting in the most recent referendum (July 1991), with not
more than 20 percent of such request from producers in one state or
importers of cotton.
Current procedures for the conduct of a sign-up period appear at 7
CFR 1205.10-1205.30. These procedures will be updated as appropriate
prior to the beginning of the sign-up period.
Authority: 7 U.S.C. 2101-2118.
Bruce Summers,
Administrator, Agricultural Marketing Service.
[FR Doc. 2020-27877 Filed 12-17-20; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE P
