Agricultural Marketing Service November 23, 2016 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

This proposed rule would implement a recommendation from the Florida Tomato Committee (Committee) to increase the assessment rate established for the 2016-17 and subsequent fiscal periods from $0.03 to $0.035 per 25-pound carton of tomatoes handled under the marketing order (order). The Committee locally administers the order and is comprised of producers of tomatoes operating within the area of production. Assessments upon Florida tomato 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 would remain in effect indefinitely unless modified, suspended, or terminated.

This rule removes language from the California raisin marketing order's minimum grade standards and the import regulations' grade and size requirements. The marketing order regulates the handling of raisins produced from grapes grown in California, and is administered locally by the Raisin Administrative Committee (committee). The change to the import regulations is required under section 8e of the Agricultural Marketing Agreement Act of 1937, as amended. Recently, the U.S. Standards for Grades of Processed Raisins (standards) were amended to remove the word ``midget.'' This rule makes the marketing order and the import regulations consistent with the amended standards.

This proposal would amend the research and promotion orders or the regulations under the ordersoverseen by the Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) to provide uniform authority for the removal of board members and staff who fail to perform their duties or who engage in dishonest actions or willful misconduct. The removal provisions in 13 of the orders would be modified to allow the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to take action necessary to ensure the boards can continue to fulfill their intended purposes with minimal disruption. Removal provisions would be added to the six orders that do not currently provide for such action.