Agricultural Marketing Service – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

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

This action terminates a rulemaking proceeding that proposed to establish a marketing agreement (agreement) under the Agricultural Marketing Agreement Act of 1937 (Act) to regulate the handling of fresh leafy green vegetables in the United States. The agreement that was proposed by members of the produce industry would have authorized the development and implementation of handling regulations (audit metrics) to reflect the United States Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) Good Agricultural Practices (GAPs), Good Handling Practices (GHPs), and Good Manufacturing Practices (GMPs).

The Department of Agriculture (USDA) is adopting, as a final rule, without change, an interim rule that modified the size requirements for potatoes handled under the Colorado potato marketing order, Area No. 2 (order). The order regulates the handling of Irish potatoes grown in Colorado and is administered locally by the Colorado Potato Administrative Committee, Area No. 2 (Committee). The interim rule revised the 1-inch minimum to 1\3/4\-inch maximum diameter size allowance for U.S. Commercial and better grade potatoes contained in the order's handling regulation for Area No. 2 to \3/4\-inch minimum to 1\5/8\-inch maximum diameter. In addition, this action revised the minimum size requirement under the order's general cull regulation to \3/4\-inch diameter. As required under section 8e of the Agricultural Marketing Agreement Act of 1937, this action also revised the size requirements for imported round type potatoes, other than red-skinned varieties. This change is expected to facilitate the handling and marketing of the Area No. 2 potato crop; provide producers, handlers, and importers with increased returns; and offer consumers increased potato purchasing options.

The Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) is amending regulations to allow for the addition of an optional cotton futures classification procedureidentified and known as ``registration'' by the U.S. cotton industry and the Intercontinental Exchange (ICE). In response to requests from the U.S. cotton industry and ICE, AMS will offer a futures classification option whereby cotton bales may be certificated for the purpose of an exchange's cotton futures contract using Smith-Doxey data to verify that submitted bales meet more restrictive quality requirements and age parameters established by that exchange. AMS anticipates that the futures classification option will be available in time for the implementation of ICE's Cotton Resolution No. 2, which is scheduled to commence with the March 2014 contract month.

This proposed rule invites comments on procedures for conducting a referendum to determine whether issuance of a proposed Hardwood Lumber and Hardwood Plywood Promotion, Research and Information Order (Order) is favored by domestic manufacturers of hardwood lumber and hardwood plywood. Hardwood lumber and hardwood plywood are used in products like flooring, furniture, moldings, doors, and kitchen cabinets. The procedures would also be used for any subsequent referendum under the Order. The proposed Order is being published separately in this issue of the Federal Register. This proposed rule also announces the Agricultural Marketing Service's (AMS) intent to request approval by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) of new information collection requirements to implement the program.

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 an extension for and revision to the forms currently used to collect information under Federal Marketing Order No. 983, for pistachios grown in California, Arizona, and New Mexico.

This proposed rule would amend the Watermelon Research and Promotion Plan (Plan) importer membership requirements to serve on the National Watermelon Promotion Board (Board). The Board recommended eliminating the requirement that an importer import more than 50 percent of the total volume handled and imported in order to qualify as an importer member. This change would allow for additional parties to qualify as an importer member. This proposed rule also announces that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA or Department) will conduct a referendum among eligible producers, handlers, and importers of watermelons to determine whether they favor the amendment to the Plan.

This rule increases the assessment rate established for the Washington Apricot Marketing Committee (Committee) for the 2013-2014 and subsequent fiscal periods from $0.50 to $1.50 per ton of Washington apricots handled. The Committee locally administers the marketing order, which regulates the handling of apricots grown in designated counties in Washington. Assessments upon apricot handlers are used by the Committee to fund reasonable and necessary expenses of the program. The fiscal period began on April 1 and ends March 31. The assessment rate will remain in effect indefinitely unless modified, suspended, or terminated.

This proposed rule would increase the assessment rate established for the Prune Marketing Committee (Committee) for the 2013- 14 and subsequent crop years from $0.22 to $0.28 per ton of salable dried prunes handled. The Committee locally administers the marketing order, which regulates the handling of dried prunes grown in California. Assessments upon dried prune handlers are used by the Committee to fund reasonable and necessary expenses of the program. The crop year begins August 1 and ends July 31. The assessment rate would remain in effect indefinitely unless modified, suspended, or terminated.

The Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) of the Department of Agriculture (USDA) is revising the voluntary United States Standards for Grades of Okra by removing the ``Unclassified'' category from the standards.

This final rule addresses recommendations submitted to the Secretary of Agriculture (Secretary) by the National Organic Standards Board (NOSB) following their November 2011 and May 2012 meetings. These recommendations pertain to the 2013 Sunset Review of substances on the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) National List of Allowed and Prohibited Substances (National List). Consistent with the recommendations from the NOSB, this final rule continues the allowed uses of multiple synthetic and nonsynthetic substances and the prohibition of one nonsynthetic substance on the National List (along with any restrictive annotations). This rule also removes one synthetic substance from the National List.

This proposal invites comments on changes to the membership of 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). Under the Order, assessments are collected from U.S. manufacturers (domestic) and importers and used for projects to promote softwood lumber within the United States. This proposal would revise the Board's membership to reflect the diversity of the industry in terms of size of operation; allow companies that operate in multiple geographic regions to seek representation in any region in which they operate (U.S. or import); add flexibility for the Board to nominate eligible persons to fill vacancies that occur during a term; and re-designate the States of Virginia and West Virginia to the U.S. South Region. These changes would help facilitate program operations.

This proposed rule would increase the assessment rate established for the California Walnut Board (Board) for the 2013-14 and subsequent marketing years from $0.0175 to $0.0189 per kernelweight pound of merchantable walnuts. The Board locally administers the marketing order which regulates the handling of walnuts grown in California. Assessments upon walnut handlers are used by the Board to fund reasonable and necessary expenses of the program. The marketing year begins September 1 and ends August 31. The assessment rate would remain in effect indefinitely unless modified, suspended, or terminated.

The Department of Agriculture (USDA) is adopting as a final rule, without change, an interim rule that changed the reporting and assessment requirements prescribed under the marketing order for Vidalia onions grown in Georgia (order). The interim rule changed the date by which handlers are required to submit monthly shipping reports and their corresponding assessments to the Vidalia Onion Committee (Committee) from the fifth day of the month to the tenth day of the month. In addition, the interim rule also changed the due date to the first business day after the tenth day of the month, should the tenth fall on a weekend or a holiday. These changes benefit handlers without negatively affecting program compliance.

This document proposes a Paper and Paper-Based Packaging Promotion, Research and Information Order (Order). The purpose of the program would be to maintain and expand markets for paper and paper- based packaging. The program would be financed by an assessment on paper and paper-based packaging manufacturers (domestic producers) and importers and would be administered by a board of industry members appointed by the Secretary of Agriculture (Secretary). The assessment rate would initially be $0.35 per short ton. This document also announces that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is conducting a referendum among eligible manufacturers and importers to determine whether they favor implementation of the program. The program would be implemented if it is favored by a majority of current U.S. manufacturers and importers voting in the referendum who also represent a majority of the volume of paper and paper-based packaging represented in the referendum who, during a representative period determined by the Secretary, were engaged in the manufacturing or importation of paper and paper-based packaging into the United States. A separate final rule on referendum procedures is being published in this issue of the Federal Register.

The Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) proposes regulatory amendments that would allow for the addition of an optional cotton futures classification procedureidentified and known as ``registration'' by the U.S. cotton industry and the Intercontinental Exchange (ICE). In response to requests from the U.S. cotton industry and ICE, AMS proposes to offer a futures classification option whereby cotton bales may be certificated for the purpose of an exchange's cotton futures contract using Smith-Doxey data to verify that submitted bales meet more restrictive quality requirements and age parameters established by that exchange. The implementation of ICE's Cotton Resolution No. 2 is scheduled to commence with the March 2014 contract month. It is anticipated that AMS would make the futures classification option available December 2013.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this notice announces that the Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) is requesting approval from the Office of Management and Budget for revision to and extension of the information collection titled USDA Food Connect Web site.

This document contains a correction to the proposed rule that was published on August 22, 2013, 78 FR 52100. In the proposed rule, the Regulatory Information Number (RIN) appears as RIN 0581-AD33. This number is incorrect. The correct number is 0581-AD32. This document corrects the proposed rule.

This Notice invites the following 16 eligible States: Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Utah, Vermont, West Virginia, and Wyoming, to submit a Grant Application (Application for Federal Assistance Standard Form 424) to the Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) for organic certification cost- share funds. A total of $1,352,850 is available to the 16 designated States for this program in Fiscal Year 2013. Funds will provide cost- share assistance to organic crop and livestock producers certified under the USDA Organic Standards (7 CFR 205). Eligible States interested in obtaining cost-share funds for their organic producers must submit a grant application via https://www.grants.gov.

This Notice would revise the United States Standards for Grades of Creole Onions, which were issued under the Agricultural Marketing Act of 1946. The Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) is proposing to amend the similar varietal characteristic requirement to allow mixed colors of onions when designated as a mixed or specialty pack. In addition, AMS would correct language and remove the ``Unclassified'' category from the standards. This revision would update the standards to more accurately represent today's marketing practices and to provide the industry with greater flexibility.

This proposed rule would amend the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA's) National List of Allowed and Prohibited Substances (National List) to reflect recommendations submitted to the Secretary of Agriculture (Secretary) by the National Organic Standards Board (NOSB) on May 25, 2012 and October 18, 2012. The recommendations addressed in this proposed rule pertain to establishing exemptions (uses) for one substance in organic crop production and two substances in organic processing. Consistent with the recommendations from the NOSB, this proposed rule would add the following substances, along with any restrictive annotations, to the National List: biodegradable biobased mulch film; Citrus hystrix, leaves and fruit; and curry leaves (Murraya koenigii). This action also proposes a new definition for biodegradable biobased mulch film. This proposed rule would also remove two listings for nonorganic agricultural products on the National List, hops (Humulus lupulus) and unmodified rice starch, as their use exemptions expired on January 1, 2013, and June 21, 2009, respectively.

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, for an extension of and revision to the currently approved information collection for Tobacco Report (OMB No. 0581-0004).

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 for an extension of and revision to the currently approved information collection Cotton Classification and Market News Service.

This rule revises the determination of sales history provisions currently prescribed under the cranberry marketing order (order). The order regulates the handling of cranberries grown in Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New Jersey, Wisconsin, Michigan, Minnesota, Oregon, Washington, and Long Island in the State of New York, and is administered locally by the Cranberry Marketing Committee (Committee). This rule modifies sales history calculations so that they are applicable for future seasons and adjusts the number of years that can be considered when determining the highest four years of past sales.

The Department of Agriculture is adopting, as a final rule, without change, an interim rule that decreased the assessment rate established for the State of Washington Potato Committee (Committee) for the 2013-2014 fiscal year and all subsequent fiscal periods from $0.003 to $0.0025 per hundredweight of potatoes handled. The Committee locally administers the marketing order for Irish potatoes grown in Washington. Decreasing the assessment rate was necessary to allow the Committee to reduce its financial reserve while still providing adequate funding to meet program expenses.