Agricultural Marketing Service – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

This document directs that a referendum be conducted among eligible producers of Vidalia onions to determine whether they favor continuance of the marketing order regulating the handling of Vidalia onions produced in Georgia.

This rule implements a recommendation from the Florida Tomato Committee (Committee) to redistrict and reapportion producer representation on the Committee currently prescribed under the marketing order for tomatoes grown in Florida. This action will reduce the number of districts from four to two and reapportion producer membership on the Committee to provide equitable representation from both districts.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) is issuing a correction to the notice published in the Federal Register on February 20, 2019 (Vol. 84, No. 34, pages 5046-5047). The previously published notice, which informed the public of AMS's request to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for renewal of a recordkeeping burden for the information collection for the Export Fruit Acts covering exports of apples and grapes, referenced an incorrect set of burden calculations. Current burden calculations are included in the Supplementary Information section below. Additional Information: Contact Andrew Hatch, Chief, Program Services Branch, Marketing Order and Agreement Division, Specialty Crops Program, AMS, USDA, 1400 Independence Avenue SW, Stop 0237, Room 1406-S, Washington, DC 20250-0237; Telephone (202) 720-6862 or Email: andrew.hatch@usda.gov. Small businesses may request information on complying with the regulation and responding to this notice by contacting Richard Lower, Marketing Order and Agreement Division, Specialty Crops Program, AMS, USDA, 1400 Independence Avenue SW, Stop 0237, Washington, DC 20250- 0237; Telephone: (202) 720-2491, Fax: (202) 720-8938, or Email: richard.lower@usda.gov.

This rule changes the membership, nominations, procedures, and continuance referenda period for the Softwood Lumber Board (Board) established under the Softwood Lumber Research, Promotion, Consumer Education and Industry Information Order (Order). The Board administers the Order with oversight by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). This action will also make administrative changes to other provisions of the Order.

This final rule terminates the Processed Raspberry Promotion, Research, and Information Order (Order) in its entirety. This action is necessary because termination of the Order was favored by a majority of the eligible producers and importers voting in a referendum conducted from September 10 through October 5, 2018.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) is amending its regulations governing the voluntary grading and certification relating to meats, prepared meats, meat products, shell eggs, poultry products, and rabbit products. Amendments include changing terminology to scheduled and non-scheduled, billing of holidays, billing excessive hours over and above agreement hours, and removing the administrative volume charge. Amendments will standardize and align billing practices for services provided by the Livestock and Poultry Program.

This rule establishes the Milk Donation Reimbursement Program. Under the program, eligible dairy organizations that account to a Federal milk marketing order marketwide pool and incur qualified expenses related to certain fluid milk product donations may apply for and receive limited reimbursements to cover those expenses. A provision of the 2018 Farm Bill requires establishment of this program. The program is intended to reduce food waste and provide nutrition assistance to individuals in low-income groups.

The Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) invites comments on a proposal to reduce the fees for the sampling, inspection, weighing, and certification of rice performed under authority of the Agricultural Marketing Act of 1946 (AMA), as amended. Under the proposal, fees would decrease by 20 percent for fiscal year (FY) 2020 and by another 20 percent for FY 2021. The proposed changes are necessary to lower the balance in the program's operating reserve to a level adequate to cover three to six months' expenses. AMS is also proposing to adopt standardized AMS user-fee calculations used in other AMS programs for rice inspection services beginning in FY 2022.

On April 30, 2019, the Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) published a notice 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. This document makes corrections to the overtime and holiday rates charged to grade specialty crops.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this notice announces the Agricultural Marketing Service's (AMS) intention to seek renewal and extension of its current approval from the Office of Management and Budget to collect information for eight competitive and one non-competitive AMS Grant Programs administered by its Grants Division. Three of these programs were created pursuant to the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 (Farm Bill), thereby increasing the number of respondents who are potentially subject to this information collection. However, the reporting requirements should remain the same across all of the grant programs.

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 Fruit and Vegetable Industry Advisory Committee (Committee). The meeting is being convened to examine the full spectrum of fruit and vegetable industry issues and provide recommendations and ideas to the Secretary of Agriculture on how the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) can tailor programs and services to better meet the needs of the U.S. produce industry.

The Department of Agriculture (USDA) is adopting, as a final rule, without change, an interim rule that removed seven voluntary U.S. grade standards and one consumer standard for fresh fruits and vegetables from the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR). The removal will save the Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) resources as the cost of printing the eight standards annually exceeds the benefits of their further inclusion in the CFR.

Comments are invited on proposed revisions to the regulations, fees for services, and procedures established under the Plant Variety Protection Act. The proposed revisions are needed to conform with recent amendments to the Plant Variety Protection Act, which added authority for the Plant Variety Protection Office to issue certificates of protection for varieties of plants that are reproduced asexually. The proposed rule would add references to the term ``asexual reproduction'' to the regulations established under the Act. The proposed rule would also modernize the regulations by simplifying the fee schedule for PVPO services and updating the regulations relating to administrative procedures to reflect current business practices.

This rule changes 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 rule also makes administrative changes to other provisions of the Order.

This proposal invites comments on changing the membership, nominations, procedures, and continuance referenda period for the Softwood Lumber Board (Board) established under the Softwood Lumber Research, Promotion, Consumer Education and Industry Information Order (Order). The Board administers the Order with oversight by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). This proposal would also make administrative changes to other provisions of the Order.

The Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS), USDA, is taking several actions to post and de-post stockyards under the Packers and Stockyards Act (P&S Act). Specifically, we are proposing that 10 stockyards now operating subject to the P&S Act be posted. We are also posting six stockyards that were identified previously as operating subject to the P&S Act and de-posting two stockyards that no longer meet the definition of a stockyard.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this notice announces the Agricultural Marketing Service's (AMS) intention to request for an extension and revision of a currently approved information collection for Specialty Crops Market News Division.

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 the 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).

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 a new information collection, ``Application for Plant Variety Protection Certification and Objective Description of VarietyAsexually Reproduced Varieties.''

This proposed rule would implement a recommendation from the Cherry Industry Administrative Board (Board) to establish free and restricted percentages for the 2018-19 crop year under the Marketing Order for tart cherries grown in the states of Michigan, New York, Pennsylvania, Oregon, Utah, Washington, and Wisconsin. This action would establish the proportion of tart cherries from the 2018-19 crop which may be handled in commercial outlets. This action would also revise the regulations regarding grower diversion. This action should stabilize marketing conditions by adjusting supply to meet market demand and help improve grower returns.

The Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) of the Department of Agriculture (USDA) proposes to revise the U.S. Standards for Grades of Apples by removing smooth net-like russeting as a grade-determining factor in the U.S. Extra Fancy, U.S. Fancy, and U.S. No. 1 grades for Fuji apples. In addition, AMS proposes to remove obsolete references to the location where color standards may be examined and purchased. The changes will modernize the standards and meet growing consumer demand by providing greater marketing flexibility.

This final rule amends the National List of Allowed and Prohibited Substances (National List) section of the United States Department of Agriculture's (USDA's) organic regulations to implement recommendations submitted to the Secretary of Agriculture (Secretary) by the National Organic Standards Board (NOSB). This rule adds elemental sulfur to the National List for use in organic livestock production and reclassifies potassium acid tartrate from a non- agricultural substance to an agricultural substance and requires the organic form of the ingredient when commercially available. This rule also corrects the amendatory instructions to ensure proper placement of the regulatory text.

The Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) of the Department of Agriculture (USDA), is soliciting comments on the feasibility of establishing a livestock dealer statutory trust.

This proposed rule would implement a recommendation from the California Olive Committee (Committee) to increase the assessment rate established for the 2019 fiscal year and subsequent fiscal years. The assessment rate would remain in effect indefinitely unless modified, suspended, or terminated.

This proposed rule would implement a recommendation from the Florida Tomato Committee (Committee) to redistrict and reapportion producer representation on the Committee currently prescribed under the marketing order for tomatoes grown in Florida. This action would reduce the number of districts from four to two and reapportion producer membership on the Committee to provide equitable representation from both districts.