Agricultural Marketing Service April 2019 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) is announcing the 2019 rates it will charge for voluntary grading, inspection, certification, auditing, and laboratory services for a variety of agricultural commodities including meat and poultry, fruits and vegetables, eggs, dairy products, and cotton and tobacco. The 2019 regular, overtime, holiday, and laboratory services rates will be applied at the beginning of the crop year, fiscal year or as required by law depending on the commodity. Other starting dates are added to this notice based on cotton industry practices. This action establishes the rates for user-funded programs based on costs incurred by AMS. This year more than half of AMS user fee rates will remain unchanged or will decrease, but increases are necessary to many fees to cover costs. For consistency, audit fees will now be the same for all commodities at $115.00 per hour.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this notice announces the Agricultural Marketing Service's (AMS) intention to request approval, from the Office of Management and Budget, for a renewal and revision to the currently approved information collection of the Mandatory Country of Origin Labeling (COOL) of Covered Commodities.

This rule implements a recommendation from the Far West Spearmint Oil Administrative Committee (Committee) to increase the quantity of Class 3 (Native) spearmint oil that handlers may purchase from, or handle on behalf of, producers during the 2018-2019 marketing year. The Committee recommended this action to ensure that the Native spearmint oil market is adequately supplied through the end of the current marketing year.

This rule reallocates the membership of the Mushroom Council (Council) under the Agricultural Marketing Service's (AMS) regulations regarding a national research and promotion program for mushrooms. The Council administers the regulations with oversight by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). This rule was recommended by the Council after a review of the geographic distribution of the volume of mushroom production throughout the United States and the volume of imports. This rule revises the number of Council members in two of the four geographic regions under the program. This action is necessary to provide for equitable representation of producers and importers on the Council.

The Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) of the Department of Agriculture (USDA) is revising the U.S. Standards for Grades of Canned Lima Beans, U.S. Standards for Grades of Canned Mushrooms, U.S. Standards for Grades of Pickles, and U.S. Standards for Grades of Green Olives. AMS is replacing the term ``midget'' with ``petite'' in the canned lima bean, canned mushroom, and pickle standards, and removing ``midget'' completely from the green olive standards as there is an alternative term. AMS is also replacing the two-term grading system (dual nomenclature) with a single term to describe each quality level in the canned lima bean, canned mushroom, and green olive standards. Editorial changes are also being made to the grade standards that conform to recent changes made in other grade standards.

This rule implements a recommendation from the Citrus Administrative Committee (Committee) to revise the grade and size requirements currently prescribed under the marketing order for oranges, grapefruit, tangerines, and pummelos grown in Florida. This rule removes the grade and size requirements for Ambersweet and Temple oranges, and simplifies the tables outlining the grade and size requirements for interstate and export shipments. A corresponding change will be made to the grapefruit import regulation as required under section 8e of the Agricultural Marketing Agreement Act of 1937.

This proposal invites comments on changing the membership and nomination procedures of the Paper and Packaging Board (Board). The Paper and Paper-Based Packaging Promotion, Research and Information Order (Order) is administered by the Board with oversight by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). This proposal would also make administrative changes to other provisions of the Order.

This final rule amends Marketing Order No. 956, which regulates the handling of sweet onions grown in the Walla Walla Valley of Southeast Washington and Northeast Oregon. The three amendments, which were proposed by the Walla Walla Sweet Onion Marketing Committee (Committee), were approved by producers in a referendum. This action also updates the term of office and staggered term limits for producers and handlers.