Farm Service Agency – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Farm Service Agency (FSA) proposes adding export food aid commodities (EFAC) to the agricultural products for which warehouse licenses may be issued under the United States Warehouse Act (USWA). Through this notice, FSA is providing an opportunity for anyone to provide comments on this proposal to offer a license for EFAC. EFAC might include corn soy blend, vegetable oil, or pulses such as peas, beans and lentils. Current USWA licenses for agricultural products include grain, cotton, nuts, cottonseed, and dry beans. Warehouse operators that apply voluntarily agree to be licensed, observe the rules for licensing, and pay associated user fees.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the Farm Service Agency (FSA) is seeking comments from all interested individuals and entities on an extension of a currently approved information collection associated with the FSA County Committee Elections. The collection of information from FSA farmers and ranchers is used to receive nominations from eligible voters for the County Committee.

The Farm Service Agency (FSA) is amending the Farm Loan Programs (FLP) direct loan servicing regulations to implement provisions of the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 (the 2008 Farm Bill). This rule implements four amendments to the direct loan servicing regulations. The first amendment further emphasizes transitioning borrowers to private sources of credit in the shortest time practicable. The second amendment amends the Homestead Protection lease regulations by extending the right to purchase the leased property to the lessee's immediate family when the lessee is a member of a socially disadvantaged group. The third amendment amends the account liquidation regulations to suspend certain loan acceleration and foreclosure actions, including suspending interest accrual and offsets, if a borrower has filed a claim of program discrimination that has been accepted as valid by USDA and the borrower's account is at the point of acceleration or foreclosure. The fourth amendment amends the supervised bank account regulations to make the FSA regulations on insurable account limits consistent with the regulations of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the Farm Service Agency (FSA) is seeking comments from all interested individuals and organizations on an extension of a currently approved information collection associated with the Measurement Service Records.

The Farm Service Agency published a document in the Federal Register on November 26, 2010, announcing two public meetings of the Dairy Industry Advisory Committee. The location of the December and January meetings have changed. This notice provides the current meeting location information.

The Farm Service Agency (FSA) is amending regulations as required by the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 (the 2008 Farm Bill) to implement the new Emergency Forest Restoration Program (EFRP). EFRP will provide financial assistance to owners of nonindustrial private forest land to restore land that was damaged by a natural disaster on or after January 1, 2010. This interim rule also reorganizes existing Emergency Conservation Program (ECP) regulations to incorporate EFRP and makes minor technical amendments to the existing regulations for ECP including general regulations that will now apply to both ECP and EFRP.

The Crop Assistance Program (CAP) will provide emergency assistance to reestablish the purchasing power of eligible producers of rice, cotton, soybeans, and sweet potatoes in specified counties for which a Secretarial disaster designation was issued based on excessive moisture and related conditions for the 2009 crop year. This rule specifies the eligibility requirements, payment calculations, and application procedures for CAP. CAP will provide up to $550 million to eligible producers. This rule also proposes a new information collection for the payment application.

The Farm Service Agency (FSA) is implementing the new Conservation Loan (CL) Program authorized by the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 (the 2008 Farm Bill). This interim rule adds the CL Program provisions to the existing direct and guaranteed loan regulations. These provisions will provide CL Program eligibility and servicing options for the direct and guaranteed loans made through the CL Program.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the Farm Service Agency (FSA) is requesting comments from all interested individuals and organizations on an extension of a currently approved information collection to support Customer Data Worksheet Request for Service Center Information Management System (SCIMS) that contains the producer's personal information. Specifically, FSA is requesting comment on the form AD-2047, ``Customer Data Worksheet Request for SCIMS Record Change.'' FSA is using the collected information in support of documenting critical producer data changes (customer name,

This rule specifies regulations for the Dairy Product Price Support Program (DPPSP), which has replaced the Price Support Program for Milk, and amends regulations for the Dairy Indemnity Payment Program (DIPP). The two programs are authorized by the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 (the 2008 Farm Bill) through 2012. The DPPSP supports the price of cheddar cheese, butter, and nonfat dry milk by providing a standing offer from Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) to purchase those products at specific support prices. This rule specifies the minimum price support levels for cheddar cheese, butter, and nonfat dry milk. This rule also specifies the minimum price at which CCC may sell dairy products from inventory. DIPP indemnifies dairy farmers and manufacturers of dairy products for losses suffered due to contamination of milk and milk products. This rule extends DIPP through 2012 and amends the method through which DIPP payments will be disbursed in the event that available appropriated funds are insufficient to pay all claims. That method is changing from a pro rata method to a first-come, first-paid basis.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) and Farm Service Agency (FSA) are seeking comments from all interested individuals and organizations on an extension of a currently approved information collection for the Food Aid Request Entry System (FARES). FSA and CCC procure various processed foods and commodities to be exported and donated for use in humanitarian food aid programs. Information related to this activity is collected and processed electronically through the FARES. The Web-Based Supply Chain Management system (WBSCM) is a new procurement system in development to replace FARES at a later date.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, Farm Service (FSA) is requesting comments from individuals and organizations on an extension with revision of a currently approved information collection that supports Farm Loan Programs (FLP) for the General Program Administration.

As required by the Federal Advisory Committee Act, as amended, the Farm Service Agency (FSA) announces the second public meeting of the Dairy Industry Advisory Committee (Dairy Committee) for two days to discuss farm milk price volatility and dairy farmer profitability, review current dairy programs of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and Federal dairy policy, hear proposals from the dairy industry, and hear public comments. The Dairy Committee is responsible for making recommendations to the Secretary on these issues. Instructions regarding registering for and attending the meetings are in the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section of this notice.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the Farm Service Agency and the Commodity Credit Corporation are seeking comments from all interested individuals and organizations on the extension of a currently approved information collection in support of the Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program (NAP). The information collected is needed for producers to determine eligibility to obtain NAP assistance.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the Farm Service Agency (FSA) is seeking comments from all interested individuals and organizations on the extension with a revision of a currently approved information collection that supports Direct Loan Servicing-Regular programs. The information is used to determine borrower compliance with loan agreements, assist the borrower in achieving business goals, and regular servicing of the loan account such as graduation, subordination, partial release, and use of proceeds.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the Farm Service Agency (FSA) is seeking comments from all interested individuals and organizations on the extension with a revision of a currently approved information collection that supports Direct Loan Servicing-Special programs. The information is used in eligibility and feasibility determinations on borrower requests for disaster set-aside, primary loan servicing, buyout at market value, and homestead protection, as well as liquidation of security.

In accordance with the Federal Civil Penalties Inflation Adjustment Act of 1990, as amended, this final rule adjusts civil monetary penalties imposed by agencies within USDA to incorporate an inflation adjustment.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the Farm Service Agency (FSA) is seeking comments from all interested individuals and organizations on the extension of a currently approved information collection for the Minority Farm Register. The Minority Farm Register is a voluntary register of minority farm and ranch operators, landowners, tenants and others with an interest in farming or agriculture. USDA Office of Outreach uses the collected information to better inform minority farmers about USDA programs and services.

As required by the Federal Advisory Committee Act, as amended, the Farm Service Agency (FSA) announces a public meeting of the newly established Dairy Industry Advisory Committee (Dairy Committee) to review the current state of the dairy industry, discuss current dairy programs of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and Federal dairy policy, hear proposals from the dairy industry, and hear public comments. The Dairy Committee is responsible for advising the Secretary on these issues.

This rule implements specific requirements for the new Supplemental Revenue Assistance Payments Program (SURE) authorized by the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 (the 2008 Farm Bill). SURE provides disaster assistance to eligible participants who have experienced qualifying crop production losses, or crop quality losses, or both, occurring in crop year 2008 through September 30, 2011. All crops for which crop insurance or noninsured crop disaster assistance program (NAP) coverage is available are eligible crops for SURE. To be eligible for SURE payments, participants must meet a risk management purchase requirement, with some exceptions, and have suffered a qualifying loss due to disaster. A qualifying loss is a loss of at least 10 percent of a crop of economic significance on a participant's farm in a disaster county (a county for which a Secretarial disaster declaration has been issued or a county contiguous to such a county), or on a participant's farm with an overall loss greater than 50 percent of normal production (expected revenue for all crops on the farm) due to disaster. This rule specifies how a qualifying loss is determined, how SURE payments are calculated, and how and when participants may apply for payment.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the Farm Service Agency (FSA) and Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) are seeking comments from all interested individuals and organizations on a revision of a currently approved information collection request. This information collection is necessary to support the procurement of agricultural commodities for domestic and export food donation programs. FSA and CCC issue invitations to purchase or process commodities for food assistance programs on monthly, multiple monthly, quarterly, and yearly basis. Special invitations, however, are issued throughout the month. The revision to the information collection request is to support the implementation of a new system named Web Based Supply Chain Management (WBSCM) that will allow respondents to submit information electronically. This new system will replace some of the existing paper forms in this information collection and reduce the burden on respondents. WBSCM will eventually replace all other existing forms in this information collection.

This rule implements specific requirements for the Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honeybees, and Farm-Raised Fish Program (ELAP) and the Livestock Forage Disaster Program (LFP) authorized by the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 (2008 Farm Bill). LFP provides payments to eligible livestock producers that have suffered livestock grazing losses due to qualifying drought or fire. For drought, the losses must have occurred on land that is native or improved pastureland with permanent vegetative cover or is planted to a crop planted specifically for grazing for covered livestock due to a qualifying drought during the normal grazing period for the county. For fire, LFP provides payments to eligible livestock producers that have suffered grazing losses on rangeland managed by a Federal agency if the eligible livestock producer is prohibited by the Federal agency from grazing the normal permitted livestock on the managed rangeland due to a qualifying fire. ELAP provides emergency assistance to eligible producers of livestock, honeybees, and farm-raised fish that have losses due to disease, adverse weather, or other conditions, including losses due to blizzards and wildfires, as determined by the Secretary. ELAP assistance is for losses not covered under other Supplemental Agricultural Disaster Assistance Payment programs established by the 2008 Farm Bill, specifically LFP, Livestock Indemnity Program (LIP), and Supplemental Revenue Assistance Program (SURE). Eligible LFP and ELAP losses must have occurred on or after January 1, 2008, and before October 1, 2011. This rule specifies how LFP and ELAP payments are calculated, what losses are eligible, and when producers may apply for payments.

The Secretary of Agriculture is renewing the charter of the Advisory Committee on Beginning Farmers and Ranchers (Committee). The Committee provides advice to the Secretary on ways to encourage Federal and State beginning farmer programs to provide joint financing to beginning farmers and ranchers, and other methods of creating new farming and ranching opportunities. This notice invites nominations for persons to service on the Committee.

The Farm Service Agency (FSA) is requesting applications for competitive cooperative agreement funds for Fiscal Year (FY) 2010 for the credit outreach initiative targeted to American Indian farmers, ranchers, and youth residing primarily on Indian reservations within the contiguous United States. Subject to the availability of appropriations, FSA anticipates the availability of up to $1,135,000 in funding and the award to one successful applicant through a Cooperative Agreement. This request for applications is being made prior to passage of an FY 2010 appropriations bill to allow applicants sufficient time to submit proposals, give the Agency maximum time to process applications, and permit continuity of this program. There is no certainty that there will be appropriated funds to fund these applications, so applicants submitting applications prior to the availability of appropriated funds do so at the risk that there may be no funding. FSA requests proposals from eligible nonprofit organizations, land-grant institutions, and federally-recognized Indian tribal governments interested in a competitively-awarded cooperative agreement to create and implement a mechanism that will provide credit outreach and promotion, pre-loan education, and one-on-one loan application preparation assistance to American Indian farmers, ranchers, and youth. Successful proposals may include other innovative services intended to enhance participation by American Indians in specific FSA Agricultural Credit Programs.

The Farm Service Agency (FSA) is making available the Food Aid Quality Project report prepared by Sharing Science and Technology to Aid in the Improvement of Nutrition (SUSTAIN). The report contains recommendations for improvements in the specifications, micronutrient composition, commodity sampling, and testing regimes for commodities procured by FSA for the U.S. international food assistance programs.