Agricultural Marketing Service 2020 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) proposes amending the USDA organic regulations to strengthen oversight and enforcement of the production, handling, and sale of organic agricultural products. The proposed amendments are intended to protect integrity in the organic supply chain and build consumer and industry trust in the USDA organic label by strengthening organic control systems, improving farm to market traceability, and providing robust enforcement of the USDA organic regulations. Topics addressed in this proposed rule include: Applicability of the regulations and exemptions from organic certification; National Organic Program Import Certificates; recordkeeping and product traceability; certifying agent personnel qualifications and training; standardized certificates of organic operation; unannounced on-site inspections of certified operations; oversight of certification activities; foreign conformity assessment systems; certification of grower group operations; labeling of nonretail containers; annual update requirements for certified operations; compliance and appeals processes; and calculating organic content of multi-ingredient products.

This rule changes the eligibility requirements for nominees representing domestic manufacturers on the Softwood Lumber Board (Board) under the Agricultural Marketing Service's (AMS) regulations regarding a national research and promotion program for softwood lumber. This change will help facilitate program operations.

The Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) of the Department of Agriculture (USDA) is soliciting comments and feedback on recommendations to update the List of Bioengineered Foods (List) as it pertains to the National Bioengineered Food Disclosure Standard (Standard).

This final rule implements a recommendation from the Far West Spearmint Oil Administrative Committee (Committee) to increase the assessment rate established for the 2020-2021 and subsequent marketing years. The assessment rate will remain in effect indefinitely unless modified, suspended, or terminated.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is adopting a final rule to amend the procedural regulations governing proceedings to formulate or amend Marketing Agreements and Marketing Orders. This final rule adopts a provision to allow the agency to utilize alternative procedures for conducting a rulemaking proceeding as outlined in a notice of hearing.

This rule implements a recommendation from the Cherry Industry Administrative Board (Board) to establish free and restricted percentages for the 2019-20 crop year pursuant to the marketing order for tart cherries grown in the states of Michigan, New York, Pennsylvania, Oregon, Utah, Washington, and Wisconsin. This action establishes the proportion of tart cherries from the 2019-20 crop that may be handled in commercial outlets. This action should stabilize marketing conditions by adjusting supply to meet market demand and help improve grower returns. Also, a correction is made to section 930.151 to reflect the correct desirable carry-out inventory not to exceed a maximum of 100 million pounds (81 FR 63676).

This final rule adjusts representation on the Cattlemen's Beef Promotion and Research Board (Board), established under the Beef Promotion and Research Act of 1985 (Act), to reflect changes in domestic cattle inventories as well as changes in levels of imported cattle, beef, and beef products that have occurred since the Board was last reapportioned in July 2017. These adjustments are required by the Beef Promotion and Research Order (Order) and will result in an increase in Board membership from 99 to 101, effective with the Secretary of Agriculture's (Secretary) appointments for terms beginning early in the year 2021.

This final rule amends Marketing Order No. 932, which regulates the handling of olives grown in California. The amendment, which was proposed by the California Olive Committee (Committee), was approved by producers in a referendum. This action revises the marketing order's quorum requirement and makes a clarifying change stating that alternate members acting as members to form a quorum would also be eligible to cast votes.

The Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) of the Department of Agriculture (USDA) is revising the U.S. Standards for Grades of Topped Carrots, U.S. Standards for Grades of Bunched Carrots, and U.S. Standards for Grades of Carrots with Short Trimmed Tops. AMS is adding more U.S. No. 1 grades to accommodate carrots of colors other than orange, orange red, and orange scarlet. The current U.S. No. 1 grades will remain unchanged. In addition, AMS is removing the Unclassified section and renumbering sections due to the additional grades.

This notice announces the conclusion of a pilot test of the International Trade Data System (ITDS) involving the electronic submission of data related to importations of fruits, vegetables, and specialty crops. The Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) regulates imports of the food commodities and is engaged in a partnership with U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and other government agencies to test the Partner Government Agency (PGA) Message Set component of the Automated Commercial Environment (ACE). The submission of this import information is required under section 608e (section 8e-1) of the Agricultural Marketing Agreement Act of 1937. The pilot program tested the electronic transmission of data related to AMS's responsibilities through CBP's ACE known as the PGA Message Set to AMS's Compliance Enforcement Management System (CEMS).

This proposed rule would amend the National List of Allowed and Prohibited Substances (National List) section of the United States 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 add the following substances to the National List: Oxalic acid dihydrate as a pesticide for organic apiculture; pullulan for use in organic handling in products labeled, ``Made with organic (specified ingredients or food group(s))''; and collagen gel casing as a nonorganic agricultural substance for use in organic handling when organic forms of collagen gel casing are not commercially available.

The Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) is announcing the designations of D.R. Schaal Agency, Inc. (Schaal) and the North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (NCDA) to provide official services under the United States Grain Standards Act (USGSA), as amended.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this notice announces the Agricultural Marketing Service's (AMS) intention to receive approval from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to collect information for the Micro-Grants for Food Security Program (MGFSP) under its Grants Division. Due to the passing of the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 (Pub. L. 115-343) (Farm Bill), AMS Grants Division is implementing this new grant program under section 4206, which directs the Secretary of Agriculture to ``distribute funds to the agricultural department or agency of each eligible state for the competitive distribution of subgrants to eligible entities for fiscal year 2019 and each fiscal year thereafter.''

The Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS), USDA, is taking action to post stockyards under the Packers and Stockyards Act (P&S Act). Specifically, we are proposing that 10 stockyards now operating subject to the P&S Act be posted. We are also posting 10 stockyards that were identified previously as operating subject to the P&S Act.

This rule implements a recommendation from the California Olive Committee (Committee) to decrease the assessment rate established for the 2020 fiscal year and subsequent fiscal years. The assessment rate will remain in effect indefinitely unless modified, suspended, or terminated.

This proposed rule invites comments on a recommendation from the Citrus Administrative Committee (Committee) to establish reporting requirements under the Federal marketing order for oranges, grapefruit, tangerines, and pummelos grown in Florida. This action would require Florida citrus handlers who handle citrus grown within the production area to register with the Committee. 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.

This proposed rule would adjust representation on the American Egg Board (Board), established under the Egg Research and Consumer Information Act of 1974 (Act), and outlines changes to geographic areas based on sustained changes in egg production in several States. The Egg Research and Promotion Order (Order) establishes a Board composed of 18 members. Currently, the 48 contiguous States are divided into 6 areas with 3 members representing each area. This proposed rule would reduce the number of geographic areas from six to three. The number of Board members representing each geographic area would change to six. The total Board membership would remain at 18.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this notice announces the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Agricultural Marketing Service's (AMS) intent to request approval from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), for an extension of and revision to the currently approved information collection used in support of the voluntary grading and certification of meat, meat products, shell eggs, poultry products, rabbit products, and Quality Systems Verification Programs (OMB 0581-0128).

The Department of Agriculture (USDA) invites comments on the proposed establishment of administrative procedures to govern formulation of new research and promotion programs under the Commodity Promotion, Research, and Information Act of 1996 (Act). This rule would specify the process for proposing such programs to USDA. The proposed rule would further clarify that AMS will continue to require associations of producers or individuals proposing new programs to post a bond or other collateral to reimburse USDA for the costs of program development.

This proposal invites comments on realigning the representation on the National Watermelon Promotion Board (Board) prescribed in the Watermelon Research and Promotion Plan (Plan) by reducing the number of production districts and reducing the number importers on the Board, accordingly. This action would contribute to effective administration of the program.

On March 17, 2020, The Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) published a notice that announced the next meeting for the Grain Inspection Advisory Committee, which was scheduled for April 1, 2020, 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. & April 2, 2020, 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. AMS is publishing this notice to announce that this federal advisory committee meeting has been postponed and will be re-scheduled at a later date.

The Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS), USDA, published a document in the Federal Register of February 11, 2020, announcing a public hearing to receive evidence on proposed amendments to Federal Marketing Order No. 984 (Order) regulating the handling of walnuts grown in California. The California Walnut Board (Board), which locally administers the Order, recommended proposed amendments that would add authority for the Board to provide credit for certain market promotion expenses paid by handlers against their annual assessments due under the Order and establish requirements to effectuate the new authority. In addition, AMS proposed to make changes to the Order as may be necessary to conform to any amendment that may result from the hearing. The date and method of the hearing have changed.

This document makes nomenclature changes to subpart headings in the Agricultural Marketing Service's regulations to bring the language into conformance with the Office of the Federal Register (OFR) requirements.

The National Organic Standards Board (NOSB) was established to assist in the development of standards for substances to be used in organic production and to advise the Secretary on the implementation of the Organic Foods Production Act of 1990 (OFPA). Through this Notice, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is announcing its call for nominations to fill five vacancies. Descriptions of the five positions are listed below under supplementary information. Appointees will serve a five-year term beginning January 24, 2021 and ending January 23, 2026. Additionally, the USDA seeks nominations for a pool of candidates that the Secretary of Agriculture can draw upon as replacement appointees if unexpected vacancies occur.

This proposed rule would implement a recommendation from the Cherry Industry Administrative Board (Board) to establish free and restricted percentages for the 2019-20 crop year under the Marketing Order for tart cherries grown in the states of Michigan, New York, Pennsylvania, Oregon, Utah, Washington, and Wisconsin. This action would establish the proportion of tart cherries from the 2019-20 crop which may be handled in commercial outlets. This action should stabilize marketing conditions by adjusting supply to meet market demand and help improve grower returns. Also, a correction would be made to this section to reflect the correct desirable carry-out inventory not to exceed a maximum of 100 million pounds.