Agricultural Marketing Service February 2006 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) is soliciting comments on its proposal to revise the United States Standards for Grades of Bunched Italian Sprouting Broccoli. At a 2003 meeting of the Fruit and Vegetable Industry Advisory Committee, AMS was asked to review all the fresh fruit and vegetable standards for usefulness in serving the industry. The current U.S. grade standards do not have provisions for grading broccoli crowns and florets. The proposed revisions will allow crowns and florets to be certified to a United States grade.

This final rule amends provisions of the producer-handler definitions of the Pacific Northwest and Arizona-Las Vegas orders as contained in the Final Decision published in the Federal Register on December 14, 2005. More than the required number of producers for the Arizona-Las Vegas and Pacific Northwest marketing areas approved the issuance of the orders as amended.

This rule relaxes the minimum grade requirement for certain potatoes handled under the Colorado potato marketing order, Area No. 2. The Colorado Potato Administrative Committee, Area No. 2 (Committee), the agency responsible for local administration of the marketing order, recommended this rule. This rule changes the minimum grade from U.S. No. 1 to U.S. Commercial for varieties of long, red-skinned, yellow fleshed potatoes produced in Area No. 2 measuring from 1\1/2\-inch minimum diameter to 2\1/4\-inch maximum diameter (size B), and from 1- inch minimum diameter to 1\3/4\-inch maximum diameter. The change is intended to provide potato handlers with more marketing flexibility, growers with increased returns, and consumers with a greater supply of small specialty potatoes.

This proposed rule invites comments on removing the exception for yellow fleshed Finnish-type potatoes from the minimum quantity exemption paragraph of the handling regulations issued under the Idaho- Eastern Oregon potato marketing order. The marketing order regulates the handling of Irish potatoes grown in certain designated counties in Idaho, and Malheur County, Oregon, and is administered locally by the Idaho-Eastern Oregon Potato Committee (Committee). A minimum quantity shipment exemption of up to 200 hundredweight is provided for yellow fleshed Finnish-type potatoes. Because yellow fleshed Finnish-type potatoes are no longer produced in the production area covered under the marketing order, the exemption is no longer necessary.

This decision recommends adoption of proposals that would amend certain features of the Upper Midwest (UMW) Federal milk marketing order. Specifically, this decision recommends adoption of proposals that would deter the de-pooling of milk and increase the order's maximum administrative assessment rate.

This decision proposes amendments to Marketing Agreement Nos. 124 and 85 and Order Nos. 916 and 917 (orders), which regulate the handling of nectarines and peaches grown in California, and provides growers with the opportunity to vote in referenda to determine if they favor the changes. The amendments are based on those proposed by the Nectarine Administrative Committee (NAC), the Peach Commodity Committee (PCC), and the Control Committee (part of M.O. No. 917) (Committees), which are responsible for local administration of orders 916 and 917. The proposed amendments to order 917 only apply to peaches. The proposed amendments would: update definitions for ``handle'', ``grower'', and add a definition for ``pure grower'' to both orders; increase committee membership of the NAC from eight to thirteen members and modify sections of order 916 to conform to the increased membership; eliminate the Shippers Advisory Committee in order 916; allow the Control Committee under order 917 to be suspended if the provisions of one commodity are suspended and transfer applicable duties and responsibilities to the remaining Commodity Committee; authorize interest and late payment charges on assessments paid late in both orders; and other related amendments. The proposed amendments are intended to streamline and improve the administration, operation, and functioning of the orders.

The Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) of the Department of Agriculture (USDA) is establishing voluntary United States Standards for Grades of Field Grown Leaf Lettuce. The standards will provide industry with a common language and uniform basis for trading, thus promoting the orderly and efficient marketing of field grown leaf lettuce.

This document announces that the Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) plans to review Marketing Order 925 (Grapes grown in a designated area of Southeastern California), Marketing Order 930 (Tart cherries grown in the States of Michigan, New York, Pennsylvania, Oregon, Utah, Washington, and Wisconsin), and Marketing Order 948 (Irish potatoes grown in Colorado) under the criteria contained in section 610 of the Regulatory Flexibility Act (RFA).

This action summarizes the results under the criteria contained in section 610 of the Regulatory Flexibility Act (RFA), of an Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) review of Marketing Order No. 993, regulating the handling of dried prunes produced in California.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. Chapter 35), this notice announces the Agricultural Marketing Service's (AMS), Science and Technology Program's intention to include three new public information collection request forms when submitting its request for approval from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), for an extension of and revision to OMB 0581-0055, ``Application for Plant Variety Protection Certification and Objective Description of Variety.'' Copies of the proposed forms may be obtained by calling the Plant Variety Protection Office (PVPO) contact listed.

This rule increases the assessment rate established for the Citrus Administrative Committee (Committee) for the 2005-06 and subsequent fiscal periods from $0.006 to $0.008 per \4/5\ bushel carton of oranges, grapefruit, tangerines, and tangelos handled. The Committee locally administers the marketing order which regulates the handling of oranges, grapefruit, tangerines, and tangelos grown in Florida. Assessments upon Florida citrus handlers are used by the Committee to fund reasonable and necessary expenses of the program. The fiscal period begins August 1 and ends July 31. The assessment rate will remain in effect indefinitely unless modified, suspended, or terminated.