Agricultural Marketing Service 2024 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

This rulemaking amends Marketing Order No. 927, which regulates the handling of pears grown in Oregon and Washington. The amendment revises the Fresh Pear Committee's (Committee) approval requirement for recommending modifications to the marketing order's fresh pear handling regulations from 80 to 75 percent.

This document directs that a referendum be conducted among eligible almond growers to determine whether they favor continuance of the marketing order regulating the handling of almonds grown in California.

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 (OMB) for an extension of the currently approved information collection "Plan for Estimating Daily Livestock Slaughter Under Federal Inspection" (OMB 0581-0050).

The Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS), Federal Grain Inspection Service (FGIS or Service) published a proposed rulemaking in the Federal Register of October 8, 2024, concerning amendments to its user fee regulations to establish standardized formulas the agency would use to calculate hourly and unit fees. This document will correct the Regulation Identifier Number (RIN) used in the proposed rule.

The Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) is announcing the certification of the Alabama Department of Agriculture and Industries and the Washington State Department of Agriculture to provide official inspection services at the export port locations listed in table 1, below, under the delegated authority of the United States Grain Standards Act (USGSA or Act), as amended. AMS is also announcing the designation of official agencies to provide official services (at other than export port locations) in the geographic areas listed in table 2, below.

The Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS), Federal Grain Inspection Service (FGIS or Service) proposes to amend its user fee regulations to establish standardized formulas the agency would use to calculate hourly and unit fees. The proposed changes would allow FGIS to charge reasonable fees sufficient to cover the costs of providing official services and re-establish a 3-to 6-month operating reserve, as required by the United States Grain Standards Act (USGSA). This proposed rulemaking would also make specified conforming changes and minor technical changes to the regulations to correct two typographical errors.

The results of the Agricultural Marketing Service's (AMS) Request for Referendum indicate that too few soybean producers wanted a referendum on the Soybean Promotion and Research Order (Order) for one to be conducted. The Request for Referendum was conducted from May 6, 2024, through May 31, 2024, at the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Farm Service Agency County offices. To trigger a referendum, 41,336 soybean producers, which represents 10 percent of the total nationwide soybean producers, needed to complete a valid Request for Referendum. The total number of soybean producers participating in the referendum was 229. The number of valid petitions received was 207.

This proposed rule would implement a recommendation from the Idaho-Eastern Oregon Potato Committee (Committee) to increase the assessment rate established for the 2024-2025 fiscal period and subsequent fiscal periods from $0.002 to $0.003 per hundredweight of potatoes handled under the marketing order. The proposed assessment rate would remain in effect indefinitely unless modified, suspended, or terminated.

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 Import Assessment Table to account for changes since the last assessment adjustment in 2023.

This recommended decision proposes to amend Marketing Order No. 989 (Order), which regulates the handling of raisins produced from grapes grown in California. The Raisin Administrative Committee, which locally administers the Order, recommended amendments that would reduce Committee size, eliminate the designated cooperative bargaining association member seat, lower quorum requirements, remove producer district representation, remove the requirement for separate member and alternate nominations for independent and small cooperative producers, remove factors for establishing marketing policy, add language to clarify the quality of reconditioned raisins, add authority to accept voluntary contributions, and add language regarding ownership of intellectual property. In addition, the Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) may make any such changes to the Order as may be necessary to conform to any amendment that may result from the hearing. This recommended decision invites written exceptions on the proposed amendments.

In accordance with the Federal Advisory Committee Act, as amended, the Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS), U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), is announcing a meeting of the National Organic Standards Board (NOSB). The NOSB assists USDA in the development of standards for substances to be used in organic production and advises the Secretary of Agriculture on any other aspects of the implementation of the Organic Foods Production Act (OFPA).

This final rule implements a recommendation from the South Texas Onion Committee (Committee) to increase the assessment rate established for the 2023-2024 and subsequent fiscal periods from $0.05 to $0.08 per 50-pound container or equivalent for South Texas onions. The assessment rate will remain in effect indefinitely unless modified, suspended, or terminated.

This notice announces the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary's intent to establish the Greenhouse Gas Technical Assistance Provider and Third-Party Verifier Program Advisory Council (Council) under the Growing Climate Solutions Act and in accordance with the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA), solicits nominations for membership on the Council, and solicits nominations for a pool of candidates to fill future unexpected vacancies in any of the position categories should that occur.

This document announces the renewal of 47 substances listed on the National List of Allowed and Prohibited Substances within the U.S. Department of Agriculture's organic regulations. This document reflects the outcome of the 2025 sunset review processes and addresses recommendations submitted to the Secretary of Agriculture, through the USDA's Agricultural Marketing Service, by the National Organic Standards Board.

This final rule implements a recommendation from the South Texas Onion Committee (Committee) to reestablish the districts in the production area and reapportion representation on the Committee. This action reduces the number of districts from two to one and reapportions membership to reflect changes in the industry, provide equitable representation on the Committee, and create the opportunity for more producers and handlers to serve on the Committee.

This rulemaking proposes amendments to Marketing Order No. 930, which regulates the handling of tart cherries grown in Michigan, New York, Pennsylvania, Oregon, Utah, Washington, and Wisconsin. The proposed amendments would modify the basis for calculating district representation on the Cherry Industry Administrative Board ("Board"), change the starting date for the term of office for Board members, simplify the way a Board member's sales constituency is determined, clarify how the sales constituency applies to alternate Board members, change the timeframe for submitting nominations, and clarify when districts are subject to volume regulation.

This final rule implements recommendations from the Softwood Lumber Board (Board) to modify the membership by adding alternate positions for certain seats and a public member. In addition to these Board recommended changes, Harmonized Tariff Schedule (HTS) numbers for softwood lumber are also updated with the latest numbers from the U.S. International Trade Commission. The Board administers the Softwood Lumber Research, Promotion, Consumer Education and Industry Information Order (Order) with oversight by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).

This decision proposes to amend the pricing provisions in the 11 Federal Milk Marketing Orders (FMMOs).

This rulemaking terminates Federal Marketing Order No. 929 regulating the handling of cranberries grown in the States of Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New Jersey, Wisconsin, Michigan, Minnesota, Oregon, Washington, and Long Island in the State of New York, and the rules and regulations issued thereunder. The data collection, reporting and recordkeeping requirements applicable to cranberries not subject to the marketing order are also terminated (7 CFR part 926). This rulemaking also removes the marketing order from the Code of Federal Regulations.

This proposed rulemaking would implement a recommendation from the National Watermelon Promotion Board to increase the assessment rate from six cents per hundredweight to nine cents per hundredweight. Domestic watermelon producers of 10 acres or more and domestic first handlers of watermelons would each pay four and a half cents per hundredweight, and importers of 150,000 pounds or more annually of watermelons would pay nine cents per hundredweight. This proposed rulemaking would also amend current regulatory language to correct non- substantive and typographical errors.

This rulemaking implements a recommendation from the Florida Tomato Committee (Committee) to increase the assessment rate established for the 2023-2024 and subsequent fiscal periods from $0.025 to $0.035 per 25-pound container of tomatoes or equivalent. The assessment rate will remain in effect indefinitely unless modified, suspended, or terminated.

The Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) is revising the U.S. Standards for Grades of Pecans in the Shell and the U.S. Standards for Grades of Shelled Pecans by replacing the current grades with U.S. Extra Fancy, U.S. Fancy, U.S. Choice, and U.S. Standard grades. In addition, AMS is updating terminology, definitions, and defect scoring guides.

The Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) proposes to adjust the number of members on the United Soybean Board (Board) to reflect changes in production levels that have occurred since the Board was last reapportioned in 2021. As required by the Soybean Promotion, Research, and Consumer Information Act (Act), membership on the Board is reviewed every 3 years and adjustments are made accordingly. The proposed changes would result in a decrease in Board membership for the State of North Dakota from 4 members to 3 members and an increase in Board membership for the State of New York from 1 member to 2 members, thus the total number of Board members would remain at 77. These changes would be reflected in the Soybean Promotion and Research Order (Order) and would be effective with the Secretary of Agriculture's (Secretary) appointments for terms in the year 2025.

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 (OMB) for an extension of and revision to the currently approved information collection 0581-0328 for the Pecan Promotion, Research, and Information Program.

The Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS), Federal Grain Inspection Service (FGIS or the Service) is revising the fee schedule for official inspection and weighing services performed under the United States Grain Standards Act (USGSA), as amended. Specifically, this interim rule announces the new rates for the remainder of fiscal year 2024, and until such time as new fees are set by a final rule. AMS intends to follow this rulemaking with a notice of proposed rulemaking establishing a new regulatory fee formula. The necessary and immediate changes to the current fees will prevent FGIS cessation of services due to insufficient required funding and, most urgently, avoid significant negative impacts to the $54 billion grain export industry. This interim rule will allow FGIS to fully recover the actual costs of providing services and re-establish a 3- to 6-month operating reserve, consistent with the USGSA, and, in doing so, ensure uninterrupted essential grain inspection services that enable U.S. companies to continue exporting and marketing U.S. grain around the world.