Agricultural Marketing Service October 2020 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents
Results 1 - 16 of 16
U.S. Standards for Grades of Grapefruit (Texas and States Other Than Florida, California, and Arizona) and U.S. Standards for Grades of Oranges (Texas and States Other Than Florida, California, and Arizona)
The Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is revising the U.S. Standards for Grades of Grapefruit (Texas and States other than Florida, California, and Arizona) and the U.S. Standards for Grades of Oranges (Texas and States other than Florida, California, and Arizona). The revision will convert the Acceptable Quality Level (AQL) tables from showing the acceptable number of allowable defective fruit in each grade to showing the percentage of defects permitted in each grade; revise the minimum sample size to 25 fruit; update size classifications; remove references to Temple oranges from the orange standards for grade; and more closely align terminology in both grade standards with Florida and California citrus standards.
Termination of U.S. Consumer Standards
The Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) of the Department of Agriculture (USDA) proposes to terminate the following 10 U.S. Consumer Standards: The U.S. Consumer Standards for Italian Sprouting Broccoli, U.S. Consumer Standards for Fresh Carrots, U.S. Consumer Standards for Celery Stalks, U.S. Consumer Standards for Husked Corn on the Cob, U.S. Consumer Standards for Fresh Kale, U.S. Consumer Standards for Fresh Spinach Leaves, U.S. Consumer Standards for Brussels Sprouts, U.S. Consumer Standards for Fresh Parsnips, U.S. Consumer Standards for Fresh Turnips, and U.S. Consumer Standards for Beet Greens. This proposed action is part of USDA's work to eliminate regulations that are outdated, unnecessary, ineffective, or impose costs that exceed benefits.
Avocados Grown in South Florida; Continuance Referendum
This document directs that a referendum be conducted among eligible growers of avocados grown in South Florida to determine whether they favor continuance of the marketing order regulating the handling of avocados produced in the production area.
United States Standards for Grades of Frozen Corn on the Cob
The Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) of the Department of Agriculture (USDA) is soliciting comments on its proposal to revise the U.S. Standards for Grades of Frozen Corn on the Cob (July 27, 1970). AMS is proposing to replace the two-term grading system (dual nomenclature) with a single term to describe each quality level in the grade standards. Terms using the letter grade would be retained and the descriptive term would be eliminated. Editorial changes would also be made to the grade standards that conform to recent changes made in other grade standards, returning previously omitted headers and language, and adding language to bring the standards up to date with current industry practices. These changes would bring the grade standards in line with the present quality levels being marketed today and provide guidance in the effective use of these products.
Walnuts Grown in California; Secretary's Decision and Referendum Order on Amendments to Marketing Order No. 984
This decision proposes amendments to Marketing Order No. 984 (Order), which regulates the handling of walnuts grown in California and provides growers with the opportunity to vote in a referendum to determine if they favor the changes. 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, the Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) proposed to make any such changes as may be necessary to conform to any amendment that may result from the public hearing.
Pears Grown in Oregon and Washington; Modification of the Handling Regulation
This proposed rule would modify the handling regulation prescribed under the marketing order for pears grown in Oregon and Washington (Order). This action would decrease the maximum acceptable pressure for early season Beurre D'Anjou (Anjou) variety pears shipped throughout the Continental United States and to Canada. In addition, this rule would remove the handling requirement exemption for small shipments of Anjou pears.
Domestic Hemp Production Program, Request for Approval of a New Information Collection
In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) invites public comments about our intention to request Office of Management and Budget (OMB) approval for a new information collection to collect data on hemp production through a producer survey. This survey is necessary to identify data in the emerging hemp industry and for administering the domestic hemp program.
Revisions to the Federal Seed Act Regulations; Correction
On July 7, 2020, the Agricultural Marketing Service amended regulations under the Federal Seed Act. The document incorrectly revised the entries for ``Oat'' and ``Brussels Sprouts'' in the table that specifies directions for germination and hard seed testing. This document corrects those entries.
Irish Potatoes Grown in Washington; Suspension of Reporting and Assessment Requirements
This proposed rule invites comments on a recommendation from the State of Washington Potato Committee (Committee) to suspend the reporting and assessment requirements prescribed under the marketing order regulating Irish Potatoes grown in Washington (Order). In a separate action, the Committee also unanimously recommended terminating Marketing Order No. 946. This rule would indefinitely suspend the reporting and assessment requirements of the Order during the period that USDA is processing the termination request.
Oranges, Grapefruit, Tangerines, and Pummelos Grown in Florida; Continuance Referendum
This document directs that a referendum be conducted among eligible producers of oranges, grapefruit, tangerines, and pummelos grown in Florida to determine whether they favor continuance of the marketing order regulating the handling of oranges, grapefruit, tangerines, and pummelos produced in the production area.
Amendments to Quality Systems Verification Programs and Conforming Changes
This final rule revises regulations for Quality Systems Verification Programs (QSVP). The revisions clarify that all voluntary, user-fee services under this part are applicable to all commodities covered by the Agricultural Marketing Act of 1946 (Act), as amended. Further, the revisions broaden the scope of services defined in part 62 to include all current and future AMS voluntary, user-fee audit verification and accreditation programs and services. Finally, the revisions harmonize administrative procedures governing these services and make conforming changes to other agency regulations.
Egg Research and Promotion; Reapportionment
This final rule adjusts representation on the American Egg Board (Board), 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 six areas with three members representing each area. This final rule reduces the number of geographic areas from six to three. The number of Board members representing each geographic area changes to six. The total Board membership remains at 18.
Pistachios Grown in California, Arizona, and New Mexico; Increased Assessment Rate
This proposed rule would implement a recommendation from the Administrative Committee for Pistachios (Committee) to increase the assessment rate established for the 2020-21 and subsequent production years. The proposed assessment rate would remain in effect indefinitely unless modified, suspended, or terminated.
Lamb Promotion, Research, and Information Order; Activity Changes
AMS solicits comments on proposed amendments to the Lamb Promotion, Research, and Information Order (Order). These amendments would require market agencies (e.g. commission merchant, auction market, livestock market) in the business of receiving lambs to collect and remit on behalf of the producer, feeder, or seedstock producer, the ``live-weight'' assessment on ovine animals sold and the ``price-per- head'' assessment owed by the first handler when lambs are sold through these channels. Market agencies would remit the full assessment to the American Lamb Board (Board) when ovine animals are sold. This proposed rule would also make technical amendments to the Order, correcting references to assessment rates that were inadvertently not updated during the previous amendment to the Order.
Cotton Board Rules and Regulations: Adjusting Supplemental Assessment on Imports (2020 Amendments)
The Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) is amending the Cotton Board Rules and Regulations, decreasing the value assigned to imported cotton for the purposes of calculating supplemental assessments collected for use by the Cotton Research and Promotion Program. This amendment is required each year to ensure that assessments collected on imported cotton and the cotton content of imported products will be the same as those paid on domestically produced cotton. In addition, AMS is updating the Harmonized Tariff Schedule (HTS) statistical reporting numbers that were amended since the last assessment adjustment in 2019.
Notice of Request for Extension of a Currently Approved Information Collection
In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. Chapter 35), this notice announces the Agricultural Marketing Service's (AMS) intention to request approval from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for an extension of the currently approved information collection used to compile and generate the Federally Inspected Estimated Daily Slaughter Report. Upon approval of this information collection, AMS will request approval from the OMB to merge this collection, ``Plan for Estimating Daily Livestock Slaughter Under Federal Inspection'' (OMB 0581-0050), with the currently approved information collection titled ``Livestock, Poultry, and Grain Market News'' (OMB 0186-0033). Both collections are directed and authorized by the Agricultural Marketing Act of 1946 (7 U.S.C. 1621-1627), and rely on voluntary cooperation with the livestock industry to collect and disseminate marketing information, utilizing the same information gathering tactics.
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google
Privacy Policy and
Terms of Service apply.
