Agricultural Marketing Service 2018 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents
Results 101 - 128 of 128
National Organic Program: USDA Organic Regulations
This document announces the renewal of 17 substances on the National List of Allowed and Prohibited Substances (National List) within the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) organic regulations. This document reflects the outcome of the 2018 sunset review process and addresses the recommendations submitted to the Secretary of Agriculture (Secretary), through the USDA's Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS), by the National Organic Standards Board (NOSB).
Oranges, Grapefruit, Tangerines, and Pummelos Grown in Florida; Increased Assessment Rate
This proposed rule would implement a recommendation from the Citrus Administrative Committee (Committee) to increase the assessment rate established for the 2017-18 and subsequent fiscal periods. The assessment rate would remain in effect indefinitely unless modified, suspended, or terminated.
Milk in California; Proposal To Establish a Federal Milk Marketing Order
The Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) proposes the issuance of a Federal Milk Marketing Order (FMMO) regulating the handling of milk in California. This proposed rule proposes adoption of a California FMMO incorporating the entire state of California and would adopt the same dairy product classification and pricing provisions used throughout the current FMMO system. The proposed California FMMO provides for the recognition of producer quota as administered by the California Department of Food and Agriculture. This proposed FMMO is subject to producer approval by referendum.
Milk in the Florida Marketing Area; Decision on Proposed Amendments to Marketing Agreement and Order
This document proposes to adopt, on an emergency basis, amendments to the Florida Federal milk marketing order (FMMO) that would implement a temporary assessment on Class I milk. Revenues collected through the assessment would be disbursed to handlers and producers who incurred extraordinary marketing losses and expenses due to Hurricane Irma, which caused considerable market disruptions in September 2017.
Peanut Promotion, Research, and Information Order; Change in Assessment Rate Computation
This proposal invites comments on changing the assessment rate computation under the Agricultural Marketing Service's (AMS) regulations regarding a national research and promotion program for U.S. peanuts. This proposal would change the basis for assessment under the regulations from value to volume (per ton). Two rates of assessment would be established instead of using a formula currently specified in the regulations. This proposal would also update the definition for ``fiscal year'' specified in the regulations to reflect current practices.
Oranges and Grapefruit Grown in the Lower Rio Grande Valley in Texas; Decreased Assessment Rate
This rule implements a recommendation from the Texas Valley Citrus Committee (Committee) to decrease the assessment rate established for the 2017-18 and subsequent fiscal periods for oranges and grapefruit handled under Marketing Order 906. The assessment rate will remain in effect indefinitely unless modified, suspended, or terminated. This rule also makes administrative revisions to the subpart headings of the Order.
Proposed California Federal Milk Marketing Order
This document announces the ratification of the evidentiary record of the California Federal Milk Marketing Order (FMMO) rulemaking proceeding by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Judicial Officer (JO).
Christmas Tree Promotion Research, and Information Order; Referendum
This document directs that a referendum be conducted among eligible producers and importers of Christmas trees to determine whether they favor continuance of the Agricultural Marketing Service's (AMS) regulations regarding a national Christmas tree research and promotion program.
Pistachios Grown in California, Arizona, and New Mexico; Decreased Assessment Rate
The Department of Agriculture adopts as final, without change, an interim rule that implemented a recommendation from the Administrative Committee for Pistachios (Committee) to decrease the assessment rate established for the 2017-18 and subsequent production years and administrative revisions to the subpart headings to bring the language into conformance with the Office of Federal Register requirements.
Honey Packers and Importers Research, Promotion, Consumer Education and Industry Information Order; Change in Producer Eligibility Requirements and Implementation of Charges for Past Due Assessments
This rule revises the eligibility requirements for producer representatives on the Honey Packers and Importers Board (Board) and prescribes late payment and interest charges on past due assessments under the Agricultural Marketing Service's (AMS) regulation regarding a national research and promotion program for honey and honey products. This rule reduces the minimum production requirement for producers to serve on the Board and thereby allow more producers to be eligible to serve on the Board. This rule also prescribes late payment and interest charges on past due assessments to help facilitate program administration.
National Organic Program (NOP); Organic Livestock and Poultry Practices
This final rule withdraws the Organic Livestock and Poultry Practices final rule published in the Federal Register on January 19, 2017, by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Agricultural Marketing Service. The existing organic livestock and poultry regulations remain effective.
Onions Grown in South Texas; Proposed Amendment to Marketing Order 959
This proposed rule invites comments on a proposed amendment to Marketing Order No. 959, which regulates the handling of onions grown in south Texas. The proposed amendment would reduce the size of the South Texas Onion Committee (Committee) and make conforming and clarifying amendments as needed. The amendment would adjust the number of handlers and producers on the Committee to reflect a decrease in the number of onion producers and handlers in recent years.
Grapes Grown in a Designated Area of Southeastern California; Decreased Assessment Rate
This proposed rule would implement a recommendation from the California Desert Grape Administrative Committee (Committee) to decrease the assessment rate established for the 2018 fiscal period and subsequent fiscal periods. This proposed rule also makes administrative revisions to the subpart headings to bring the language into conformance with the Office of Federal Register requirements.
Pecans Grown in the States of Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, Kansas, Louisiana, Missouri, Mississippi, North Carolina, New Mexico, Oklahoma, South Carolina, and Texas; Establishment of Reporting Requirements and New Information Collection
This rule implements a recommendation made by the American Pecan Council (Council) to establish reporting requirements under the Federal marketing order for pecans (Order). These reporting requirements will enable collection of information from handlers on: Pecans received; pecans purchased outside the United States; shipments and inventory of pecans; pecans exported by country of destination; and pecans exported for shelling and returned to the United States. This information will be used to provide important statistical reports to the industry, meet requirements under the Order, and to help guide future marketing efforts.
Cranberries Grown in States of Massachusetts, et al.; Establishment of Handler Diversion and Reporting Requirements and New Information Collection
This proposed rule invites comments on the establishment of handler diversion and reporting requirements as recommended by the Cranberry Marketing Committee (Committee). This proposal would establish the procedures handlers would use to divert fruit through disposal or into noncompetitive outlets. The reporting requirements would support the diversion procedures by providing the necessary documentation to help ensure compliance when a volume regulation is established. This proposal also announces the Agricultural Marketing Service's (AMS) intention to request approval from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) of a new information collection.
Softwood Lumber Research, Promotion, Consumer Education and Industry Information Order; Continuance Referendum
This document directs that a referendum be conducted among eligible domestic (U.S.) manufacturers and importers of softwood lumber to determine whether they favor continuance of the Agricultural Marketing Service's (AMS) regulations regarding a national softwood lumber research and promotion program.
Proposed California Federal Milk Marketing Order
This document announces a delay of the California Federal Milk Marketing Order (FMMO) rulemaking proceeding and the Agricultural Marketing Service's (AMS) intention to await the U.S. Supreme Court decision on a related legal matter prior to proceeding further with this rulemaking.
Perishable Agricultural Commodities Act (PACA): Guidance on Growers' Trust Protection Eligibility and Clarification of “Written Notification”
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS), is amending the regulations under the Perishable Agricultural Commodities Act (PACA or Act) to enhance clarity and improve the administration and enforcement of the PACA. The revisions will provide greater direction to the industry as to how growers and other principals that employ selling agents may preserve their PACA trust rights. The revisions will also clarify the definition of ``written notification'' as the term is used in 6(b) of the PACA, and the jurisdiction of USDA to investigate alleged PACA violations.
Marketing Order Regulating the Handling of Spearmint Oil Produced in the Far West; Revision of the Salable Quantity and Allotment Percentage for Class 3 (Native) Spearmint Oil for the 2017-2018 Marketing Year
This rule implements a recommendation from the Far West Spearmint Oil Administrative Committee (Committee) to revise the quantity of Class 3 (Native) spearmint oil that handlers may purchase from, or handle on behalf of, producers during the 2017-2018 marketing year, which began on June 1, 2017. This rule increases the Native spearmint oil salable quantity and the allotment percentage. This rule also contains formatting changes to subpart references to bring the language into conformance with the Office of Federal Register requirements.
Watermelon Research and Promotion Plan; Redistricting and Importer Representation
This rule realigns the production districts for producer and handler membership on the National Watermelon Promotion Board (Board) under the Agricultural Marketing Service's (AMS) regulations regarding a national research and promotion program for watermelons. This rule also adds four importer seats to the Board. These changes were recommended by the Board after a review of the production volume in each district as well as assessments paid by importers. This action is necessary to provide for the equitable representation of producers, handlers, and importers on the Board.
Apricots Grown in Designated Counties in Washington; Decreased Assessment Rate
The Department of Agriculture (USDA) is adopting, as a final rule an interim rule that implemented a recommendation from the Washington Apricot Marketing Committee (Committee) to decrease the assessment rate established for the 2017-2018 and subsequent fiscal periods. The interim rule was necessary to allow the Committee to reduce its financial reserve while still providing adequate funding to meet program expenses. This final rule also makes administrative revisions to the subpart headings to bring the language into conformance with the Office of Federal Register requirements.
United States Standards for Grades of Pork Carcasses
The U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) is reopening the comment period on the notice requesting comments on revisions to the United States Standards for Grades of Pork Carcasses (pork standards) published in the Federal Register (82 FR 48971) on October 23, 2017. The comment period for this notice closed on December 22, 2017. The revisions are intended to modernize the standards and meet stakeholder demands by segregating the population of commodity pork products into uniform groups (of similar quality, value, etc.) that can facilitate the production and marketing of pork and deliver certain eating expectations for the consumer.
National Organic Program; Amendments to the National List of Allowed and Prohibited Substances (Crops, Livestock and Handling)
This proposed rule would amend the National List of Allowed and Prohibited Substances (National List) provisions of the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA's) organic regulations to implement recommendations submitted to the Secretary of Agriculture (Secretary) by the National Organic Standards Board (NOSB). This rule proposes to change the use restrictions for seventeen substances allowed for organic production or handling on the National List: Micronutrients; chlorhexidine; parasiticides; fenbendazole; moxidectin; xylazine; lidocaine; procaine; methionine; excipients; alginic acid; flavors; carnauba wax; chlorine; cellulose; colors; and, glycerin. This rule also proposes to add sixteen new substances on the National List to be allowed in organic production or handling: Hypochlorous acid; magnesium oxide; squid byproducts; activated charcoal; calcium borogluconate; calcium propionate; injectable vitamins, minerals, and electrolytes; kaolin pectin; mineral oil; propylene glycol; acidified sodium chlorite; zinc sulfate; potassium lactate; and, sodium lactate. In addition, this proposed rule would list the botanical pesticide, rotenone, as a prohibited substance in organic crop production. Finally, this proposed rule would remove ivermectin as an allowed parasiticide for use in organic livestock production.
Meeting of the National Organic Standards Board
In accordance with the Federal Advisory Committee Act, as amended, the Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS), U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), is announcing a meeting of the National Organic Standards Board (NOSB) to assist the USDA in the development of standards for substances to be used in organic production and to advise the Secretary of Agriculture on any other aspects of the implementation of the Organic Foods Production Act.
Pears Grown in Oregon and Washington; Increased Assessment Rate for Processed Pears
This rule implements a recommendation from the Processed Pear Committee (Committee) to increase the assessment rate established for the 2017-2018 and subsequent fiscal periods from $7.00 to $8.00 per ton of ``summer/fall'' pears for canning. The assessment rate will remain in effect indefinitely unless modified, suspended, or terminated. This rule also makes administrative revisions to the subpart headings to bring the language into conformance with the Office of Federal Register requirements.
Onions Grown in South Texas; Increased Assessment Rate
This rule implements a recommendation from the South Texas Onion Committee (Committee) to increase the assessment rate established for the 2017-18 and subsequent fiscal periods from $0.05 to $0.065 per 50-pound equivalent of onions handled under the Marketing Order (Order). The assessment rate will remain in effect indefinitely unless modified, suspended, or terminated.
Cranberries Grown in States of Massachusetts, et al.; Free and Restricted Percentages for the 2017-18 Crop Year for Cranberries
This proposed rule invites comments on a recommendation to establish free and restricted percentages for the 2017-18 crop year under the marketing order for cranberries grown in the production area (Order). This action would establish the proportion of cranberries from the 2017-18 crop which may be handled and allow for the disposal of 2017-18 processed cranberry products. It would also establish a minimum quantity exemption and an exemption for handlers with no carryover inventory, exempt organically grown cranberries, and define outlets for restricted fruit. This action would adjust supply to more closely meet market demand, improve grower and handler returns and reduce inventory. This proposal also contains a formatting change to subpart references to bring the language into conformance with the Office of Federal Register requirements.
Tart Cherries Grown in the States of Michigan, et al.; Revision of Exemption Requirements
This proposed rule would implement a recommendation from the Cherry Industry Administrative Board (Board) to revise the exemption provisions under the Marketing Order for tart cherries (Order). This rule changes the number of years that new product, new market development, and market expansion projects are eligible for handler diversion credit. This action would also permit handlers to apply for previously awarded projects if the original handler has not begun the project within a year of approval, and provides an expedited approval option for some market expansion activities. These changes are intended to encourage handlers to participate in new product, new market and market expansion activities, expand demand, and make the approval process more efficient. This proposal also contains a formatting change to subpart references to bring the language into conformance with the Office of Federal Register requirements.
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