Agricultural Marketing Service – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

This rule would establish the quantity of spearmint oil produced in the Far West, by class that handlers may purchase from, or handle for, producers during the 2007-2008 marketing year, which begins on June 1, 2007. This rule invites comments on the establishment of salable quantities and allotment percentages for Class 1 (Scotch) spearmint oil of 886,667 pounds and 45 percent, respectively, and for Class 3 (Native) spearmint oil of 1,062,336 pounds and 48 percent, respectively. The Spearmint Oil Administrative Committee (Committee), the agency responsible for local administration of the marketing order for spearmint oil produced in the Far West, recommended these limitations for the purpose of avoiding extreme fluctuations in supplies and prices to help maintain stability in the spearmint oil market.

Notice is hereby given that the Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) is accepting applications from State cattle producer organizations or associations and general farm organizations, as well as cattle or beef importer organizations, who desire to be certified to nominate producers or importers for appointment to vacant positions on the Cattlemen's Beef Promotion and Research Board (Board). Organizations which have not previously been certified that are interested in submitting nominations must complete and submit an official application form to AMS. Previously certified organizations do not need to reapply.

The Department of Agriculture (USDA) is adopting, as a final rule, without change, an interim final rule that established final volume regulation percentages for 2005-06 crop Natural (sun-dried) Seedless (NS) raisins covered under the Federal marketing order for California raisins (order). The order regulates the handling of raisins produced from grapes grown in California and is locally administered by the Raisin Administrative Committee (Committee). The volume regulation percentages are 82.50 percent free and 17.50 percent reserve. The percentages are intended to help stabilize raisin supplies and prices, and strengthen market conditions.

This notice supersedes prior Department of Agriculture's (USDA) National Organic Program's (NOP) published guidelines used to submit petitions to amend the National List of Allowed and Prohibited Substances (National List). The National List identifies the synthetic substances that may be used and the non-synthetic substances that may not be used in organic production. The National List also identifies synthetic and non-synthetic substances that may be used in organic handling. This notice provides guidance on who may submit petitions, what substances may be petitioned and the information that is required to be included within a submitted petition. Additionally, this notice establishes new commercial availability evaluation criteria that will be applied during the petition review of non-organic agricultural substances for inclusion onto or removal from Sec. 205.606 of the National List.

This rule provides a partial exemption to the minimum grade requirements under the marketing order for tomatoes grown in Florida (order). The Florida Tomato Committee (Committee) locally administers the order. Under the order, Florida tomatoes must meet at least a U.S. No. 2 grade before they can be shipped and sold outside the regulated area. This rule exempts UglyRipeTM (UglyRipe) tomatoes from the shape requirements associated with the U.S. No. 2 grade. This change increases the volume of UglyRipe tomatoes that will meet the order requirements, and will help increase shipments and availability of these tomatoes for consumers.

This rule would increase the assessment rate established for the Cranberry Marketing Committee (Committee) for the 2006-2007 fiscal year and subsequent fiscal years from $0.18 to $0.28 per barrel. Authorization to assess cranberry handlers enables the Committee to incur expenses that are reasonable and necessary to administer the program. The Committee locally administers the marketing order which regulates 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. The fiscal year began September 1, 2006, and ends August 31, 2007. The assessment rate will remain in effect indefinitely unless modified, suspended, or terminated.

This document summarizes the results of an Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) review of the Potato Research and Promotion Program, under the criteria contained in Section 610 of the Regulatory Flexibility Act. Based upon its review, AMS has determined that the Potato Research and Promotion Plan should be continued without change.

This action summarizes the results under the criteria contained in section 610 of the Regulatory Flexibility Act (RFA), of an Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) review of Marketing Order No. 929 regulating 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.

This order amends the manufacturing (make) allowances contained in the Class III and Class IV product price formulas applicable to all Federal milk marketing orders. Specifically, this decision adopts the following make allowances: cheese$0.1682 per pound; butter$0.1202 per pound; nonfat dry milk (NFDM)$0.1570 per pound; and dry whey$0.1956 per pound. More than the required number of producers have approved the issuance of the interim orders as amended.

This rule temporarily suspends order provisions that require continuance referenda to be conducted for the nectarine and peach marketing orders during winter 2006-07. The suspensions will enable the Department of Agriculture (USDA) to postpone conducting the continuance referenda until the industry has had sufficient time to evaluate the effects of recent amendments to the marketing orders. Temporary suspension of the continuance referenda should also minimize confusion during the upcoming committee nomination period, which overlaps with the scheduled referenda period.

This rule revises the administrative rules and regulations that define production districts, allocate committee membership, and specify nomination procedures for the Nectarine Administrative Committee (NAC) and the Peach Commodity Committee (PCC) (committees). The committees are responsible for local administration of the Federal marketing orders (orders) for fresh nectarines and peaches grown in California, respectively. This rule also revises the committees' mailing address. These revisions are necessary to bring the orders' administrative rules and regulations into conformance with the recently amended order provisions.

The Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) of the Department of Agriculture (USDA) is soliciting comments on its proposal to revise the United States Standards for Grades of Parsley. AMS is proposing to revise the standards to allow percentages to be determined by count rather than weight. AMS is also proposing to eliminate the unclassified category. The proposed revisions would bring the standards for parsley in line with current marketing practices, thereby improving the usefulness in serving the industry.

The Agricultural Marketing Service published in the Federal Register on August 7, 2006, a final rule that changed the title of the U.S.A. Cultivated Blueberry Council (USACBC) to the ``U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council'' (Council) and added a member and alternate to represent the state of Washington. However, inaccurate amendatory language was used to make the change to the Council's name. In addition, an incorrect acronym used in Sec. 1218.78 prevented its removal and replacement and a heading preceding Sec. 1218.40 in the final rule was published with a repetitive word. This document corrects the error.

This rule changes the reporting requirements currently prescribed under the marketing order for avocados grown in South Florida (order). The order regulates the handling of avocados grown in South Florida and is administered locally by the Avocado Administrative Committee (Committee). This rule indefinitely suspends the weekly handler reporting requirements specified under the order. The information from the weekly reports is no longer being used by the industry or the Committee staff and the germane information is available from other sources. This action reduces the reporting burden on handlers, while aligning information collection requirements with the needs of the industry.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) is publishing this notice to inform accredited certifying agents and producers and handlers certified to the National Organic Program (NOP) of AMS' intention to release notices of noncompliance, and the identity of each entity which has been suspended or revoked, as well as the reasons for these actions. The release of these materials complies with the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) in which any information that is not protected from disclosure by a FOIA exemption must be provided to the public.

The purpose of this notice is to notify all interested parties that the Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) will hold a Fruit and Vegetable Industry Advisory Committee (Committee) meeting that is open to the public. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) established the Committee to examine the full spectrum of issues faced by the fruit and vegetable industry and to provide suggestions and ideas to the Secretary of Agriculture on how USDA can tailor its programs to meet the fruit and vegetable industry's needs. This notice sets forth the schedule and location for the meeting.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 3501-20), this notice announces the intention of the Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) to request an extension for and revision to a currently approved information collection in support of the Regulations for Voluntary Grading of Poultry Products and Rabbit Products.

This proposed rule invites comments on adding outgoing quality control requirements under the administrative rules and regulations of the California almond marketing order (order). The order regulates the handling of almonds grown in California and is administered locally by the Almond Board of California (Board). This proposed rule provides for a mandatory program under the order to reduce the potential for Salmonella bacteria in almonds. This action would help ensure that quality almonds are available for human consumption. This proposal also announces the Agricultural Marketing Service's (AMS) intention to request approval of a new information collection issued under the order.

This proposed rule would revise the regulations governing the inspection and certification for fresh fruits, vegetables and other products by increasing certain fees charged for the inspection of these products at destination markets for the next two fiscal years (FY-2007 and FY-2008) by approximately 15 percent. These revisions are necessary in order to recover, as nearly as practicable, the costs of performing inspection services at destination markets under the Agricultural Marketing Act of 1946 (AMA of 1946). The fees charged to persons required to have inspection on imported commodities in accordance with the Agricultural Marketing Agreement Act of 1937 and for imported peanuts under section 1308 of the Farm Security and Rural Investigation Act of 2002.

The Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) is reopening the comment period for 90 days for the interim final rule for mandatory country of origin labeling (COOL) for fish and shellfish covered commodities that was published in the Federal Register on October 5, 2004 (69 FR 59708). The interim final rule for fish and shellfish became effective on April 4, 2005. The interim final rule imposes requirements on certain retailers and their suppliers to notify their customers of the country of origin and the method of production (wild and/or farm-raised) of specified fish and shellfish products. The interim final rule also specifies recordkeeping responsibilities for affected retailers and their suppliers. AMS requests general comment on the costs and benefits of the interim final rule as well as the specific questions that are listed in this document. All affected persons are hereby given notice of the opportunity to submit written data and views concerning the economic impacts of the interim final rule. AMS will review the submitted comments and information as it promulgates a final rule for mandatory COOL for fish and shellfish. Comments received on issues that are outside the scope of the costs and benefits of the interim final rule will not be considered.

This tentative final decision proposes to adopt, on an interim final and emergency basis, changes to the manufacturing allowances contained in the Class III and Class IV product price formulas applicable to all Federal milk marketing orders. This decision is subject to producer approval.

The Department of Agriculture (USDA) is adopting, as a final rule, without change, an interim final rule which suspended the continuing assessment rate established for the Area No. 3 Colorado Potato Administrative Committee (Committee) for the 2006-2007 and subsequent fiscal periods. The Committee, which locally administers the marketing order regulating the handling of potatoes grown in Northern Colorado, made this recommendation for the purpose of lowering the monetary reserve to a level consistent with program requirements. The fiscal period begins July 1 and ends June 30. The assessment rate will remain suspended until an appropriate rate is reinstated.

This rule increases the assessment rate established for the Cherry Industry Administrative Board (Board) for the 2006-2007 fiscal year and subsequent fiscal years from $0.0021 to $0.0066 per pound to fund the Board's administrative expenses and its new research and promotion program. Authorization to assess tart cherry handlers enables the Board to incur expenses that are reasonable and necessary to administer the program. The Board locally administers the marketing order which regulates the handling of tart cherries grown in the States of Michigan, New York, Pennsylvania, Oregon, Utah, Washington, and Wisconsin. The fiscal year began July 1, 2006, and ends June 30, 2007. The assessment rate will remain in effect indefinitely unless modified, suspended, or terminated.

This rule would increase the assessment rate established for the Florida Tomato Committee (Committee) for the 2006-07 and subsequent fiscal periods from $0.025 to $0.035 per 25-pound container or equivalent of tomatoes handled. The Committee locally administers the marketing order which regulates the handling of tomatoes grown in Florida. Assessments upon Florida tomato handlers are used by the Committee to fund reasonable and necessary expenses of the program. The fiscal period begins August 1 and ends July 31. The assessment rate would remain in effect indefinitely unless modified, suspended, or terminated.

This rule increases the assessment rate established for the Walnut Marketing Board (Board) for the 2006-07 and subsequent marketing years from $0.0096 to $0.0101 per kernelweight pound of assessable 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 August 1 and ends July 31. The assessment rate will remain in effect indefinitely unless modified, suspended, or terminated.