Commodity Credit Corporation 2005 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) announces that it is inviting proposals for the 2006/2007 Market Access Program (MAP). The intended effect of this notice is to solicit applications from eligible applicants and award funds in June 2006. The MAP is administered by personnel of the Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS).

The Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) announces that it is inviting proposals for the 2007 Foreign Market Development Cooperator (Cooperator) Program. The intended effect of this notice is to solicit applications from eligible applicants and award funds in June 2006. The Cooperator Program is administered by personnel of the Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS).

This proposed rule would adopt new procedures to be used by the Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) in the evaluation of bids in connection with the procurement of commodities for donation overseas. In general, CCC proposes to amend the existing regulations to provide for the simultaneous review of commodity and ocean freight offers when evaluating lowest-landed cost options in connection with the procurement of commodities. This proposed rule would enhance bidding opportunities for potential vendors while allowing CCC to more efficiently acquire commodities.

This notice sets forth the interpretation the Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) will use in administering the regulations set forth at 7 CFR part 1463 with respect to the Tobacco Transition Assessments. Generally, under these regulations CCC must determine the market share of a tobacco product manufacturer or tobacco product importer as a percentage of six statutorily specified sectors of the tobacco trade. Based upon information provided to CCC in the conduct of administrative hearings held pursuant to 7 CFR 1463.11, CCC has determined that the manner in which it calculates this percentage is subject to more than one interpretation and, based upon the evidence provided at these hearings, has determined that changes to the calculation should be made beginning with assessments collected under 7 CFR part 1463 after January 1, 2006. However, this change will not apply to invoices issued February 1, 2006. These invoices will reflect corrections and other necessary adjustments associated with fiscal year 2005.

The Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) is providing notification to all interested parties regarding additional actions pursuant to the September 20, 2005 announcement to ease transportation issues exacerbated by Hurricane Katrina. CCC is seeking proposals from interested parties for unloading barges of agricultural commodities located in the New Orleans area to make them available to transport 2005-crop agricultural commodities.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this notice announces the Commodity Credit Corporation's (CCC) intention to request an extension for a currently approved information collection in support of the CCC Export Credit Guarantee Program (GSM-102) and the CCC Supplier Credit Guarantee Program (SCGP) based on re-estimates.

The Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) is issuing this notice which sets forth the establishment and adjustments to the sugar overall allotment quantity for the 2004 crop year (FY 2005) which runs from October 1, 2004, through September 30, 2005. Although CCC already announced all of the information in this notice, CCC is statutorily required to publish in the Federal Register determinations establishing or adjusting sugar marketing allotments. CCC set the 2004-crop overall allotment quantity (OAQ) of domestic sugar to 8.100 million short tons raw value (STRV) on July 16, 2004. On September 28, 2004, CCC allocated the allotments to cane-producing States and allocations to cane and beet sugar processors. On April 29, 2005, CCC revised State cane sugar allotments and cane sugar processor allocations to reflect updated FY 2005 raw cane production forecasts. On June 30, 2005, CCC further revised State cane sugar allotments and cane sugar processor allocations to reflect updated raw cane production forecasts. On August 19, August 30 and September 9, 2005, CCC increased the 2004-crop OAQ by 250,000, 225,000 and 105,000 STRV, respectively, to release blocked refined beet sugar stocks into the tight summer market. Because the cane sector was unable to fulfill its share of the allotment increases on each occasion, the cane shortfall was reassigned first to the CCC inventory and then to imports, as required by the Agricultural Adjustment Act of 1938.

This proposed rule would change the handling of claims for specified ``tropical'' regions for the Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program (NAP). The specified area includes Hawaii, Puerto Rico and specified additional areas. The proposed changes are intended to reduce the burden on program participants and ease program administration in the affected areas.

This rule sets forth the regulations for the 2004 Dairy Disaster Assistance Payment Program. This program will assist dairy producers by providing payments to those who suffered dairy production and milk spoilage losses due to hurricanes in 2004.

The Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) proposes several changes to the sugar program regulations. First, CCC proposes to amend the regulations for transferring sugar marketing allocation when a mill closes and growers request to move their allocation. Second, CCC proposes imposing a regulatory deadline for the program's information reporting requirements. The required monthly information would be due on the 20th of each month. Third, CCC proposes to amend the requirements for the maintenance and inspection of records to require each cane processor, cane refiner and beet processor to provide an annual report by a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) that verifies the company's data submitted to CCC.

The Conservation Security Program (CSP) is authorized by Title XII, Chapter 2, Subchapter A, of the Food Security Act of 1985, as amended by the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002. The Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) published an amendment to the interim final rule for CSP on March 25, 2005, (70 FR 15201), with a comment period expiring July 25, 2005. By this notice, NRCS is extending the period during which it will accept public comment on the amended interim final rule for CSP to September 9, 2005. This extension is to give the public additional time to comment on key issues that have been raised regarding the implementation of the program under the amended interim final rule.

This rule proposes regulations to implement provisions of the Military Construction Appropriations and Emergency Hurricane Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2005, enacted on October 13, 2004 (``2004 Act'') to provide assistance to producers and first-handlers of the 2004 crop of cottonseed in counties declared a disaster by the President of the United States due to 2004 hurricanes and tropical storms.

This rule sets out regulations governing the use of designated marketing associations in connection with the making of marketing assistance loans for peanuts and the making of loan deficiency payments in lieu of such loans. These regulations reflect current procedures under broader regulations that precede this rule and specify when storage credit begins for loans handled by designated marketing associations.

This regulation sets forth the terms and conditions of the 2003/2004 American Indian Livestock Feed Program (AILFP). Assistance will be available to eligible livestock producers for livestock feed crop years 2003 or 2004 whose eligible livestock occupied tribal- governed land at the time of a natural disaster in an area where a significant loss of livestock feed has occurred, creating a livestock feed emergency, as determined by the Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC). Eligible producers can receive benefits for livestock feed crop year 2003, or 2004, but not both. Eligible tribal-governed land must be located in a primary county or counties that have received an emergency declaration by the President or emergency designation by the Secretary of Agriculture on or after January 1, 2003, for losses occurring in calendar year 2003, or calendar year 2004. Although the Presidential declarations and Secretarial designations were issued for natural disasters in those calendar years, tribal governments may request an initial 90-day feeding period and up to three 90-day extensions that extend from the beginning of a livestock feed crop year, to the end of that same livestock feed crop year. Further, livestock owners who sold eligible livestock as a direct result of natural disaster shall report those livestock as owned through the end of the production year (livestock feed crop year) in order to mitigate the livestock owner's losses. This rule is intended to implement legislation and assist affected producers in overcoming the effects of drought. In addition, this rule provides technical revisions for the Livestock Assistance Program regulations.

This document corrects the final regulations published on September 13, 2004 that amended the Sugar Program regulations of the Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) by revising several definitions used in the program and the sugar marketing allotment regulations with respect to the reassignment of processors' allocation deficits. A correction is needed to restore two paragraphs that were inadvertently removed and add a clarifying paragraph.

The Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) is seeking approval from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for a revision and extension of the collection of information used in support of motor carrier transportation services needed to meet domestic and export food assistance program needs. This information collection will allow CCC to determine the availability of motor freight carriers to meet the motor carrier needs of CCC for the movement of its freight traffic.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this notice announces the intent of the Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) and the Farm Service Agency (FSA) to request extension of the information collection currently used in support of the CCC and FSA Farm Loan Programs (FLP).

This document announces assistance under the Farm Service Agency's Tree Assistance Program (TAP) regulations in 7 CFR part 783 as authorized by the Military Construction and Appropriations Act, 2005. The first part of this notice announces the availability of assistance for claims under TAP related to Orchardists and Forest Land Owners. The second part proposes funding for special Tree Assistance Program benefits with respect to Pecan Tree Producers. The provisions in this notice for orchard and forest timber assistance are final. For pecan tree assistance, a period is allowed for comments since it is proposed that ``other appropriate activities'' allowed for assistance would only include those related to pruning and tree rehabilitation. This notice is intended to provide notice to those producers who may qualify for this assistance, and provide conditions for eligibility required by the Act under which it is funded.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) and the Farm Service Agency (FSA) are seeking comments from all interested individuals and organizations on the extension of an approved information collection associated with the acreage report for the Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program (NAP). This information collection is needed to administer the program.

This rule implements portions of the Military Construction, Appropriations and Emergency Hurricane Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2005 enacted October 13, 2004 (the 2004 Act), to authorize crop-loss disaster assistance for producers who suffered 2003, 2004, or 2005 crop losses caused by damaging weather and related conditions. Also included under this rule is authority for disaster assistance specifically for producers in Virginia, and producers of fruit and vegetable crops located in North Carolina that suffered losses due to adverse weather and related conditions that occurred in 2003.

This document establishes an amendment to the interim final rule governing activities under the Conservation Security Program (CSP) which is administered by the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). The CSP sets forth a mechanism to provide financial and technical assistance to agricultural producers who, in accordance with certain requirements, conserve and improve the quality of soil, water, air, energy, plant and animal life, and support other conservation activities. The CSP regulations implement provisions of the Food Security Act of 1985, as amended by the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002, and are intended to assist agricultural producers in taking actions that will provide long-term beneficial effects to our Nation.

This notice extends until October 31, 2005, the period in which CCC will automatically reduce any Direct and Counter-Cyclical Payments (DCP) to satisfy a producer's obligation to repay unearned 2003-crop advance counter-cyclical payments. Scheduled payments received during this period include 2004-crop final direct payments, 2004-crop advance counter-cyclical payments, and 2005-crop advance direct payments.

This rule provides regulations for the manner in which assessments are to be made on various domestic manufacturers or importers of tobacco products to fund the tobacco transition payment program as required by Title VI of the America Jobs Creation Act of 2004 (the 2004 Act).

The Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) announces that it is inviting proposals for the 2006 Foreign Market Development Cooperator (Cooperator) Program. The intended effect of this notice is to solicit applications from eligible applicants and award funds in June 2005. The Cooperator Program is administered by personnel of the Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS).

The Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) announces that it is inviting proposals for the 2005/2006 Market Access Program (MAP). The intended effect of this notice is to solicit applications from eligible applicants and award funds in June 2005. The MAP is administered by personnel of the Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS).