Federal Crop Insurance Corporation 2007 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

This notice announces a public comment period on the information collection requests (ICRs) associated with the Multiple Peril Crop Insurance.

The Federal Crop Insurance Corporation (FCIC) finalizes amendments to the Common Crop Insurance Regulations; Northern Potato Crop Insurance Provisions, Northern Potato Crop Insurance Quality Endorsement, Northern Potato Crop Insurance Processing Quality Endorsement, Potato Crop Insurance Certified Seed Endorsement, Northern Potato Crop Insurance Storage Coverage Endorsement, and the Central and Southern Potato Crop Insurance Provisions. The intended effect of this action is to provide policy changes and clarify existing policy provisions to better meet the needs of the insureds, and to reduce vulnerability to fraud, waste, and abuse. The changes will apply for the 2008 and succeeding crop years for the Northern Potato Crop Insurance Provisions, Northern Potato Crop Insurance Quality Endorsement, Northern Potato Crop Insurance Processing Quality Endorsement, Potato Crop Insurance Certified Seed Endorsement, and the Northern Potato Crop Insurance Storage Coverage Endorsement. The Central and Southern Potato Crop Insurance Provisions changes will apply for the 2009 and succeeding crop years.

The Federal Crop Insurance Corporation (FCIC) finalizes the Common Crop Insurance Regulations; Millet Crop Insurance Provisions to remove the reduction in indemnity for any unharvested millet acreage to better meet the needs of insured producers.

The Department of Agriculture (USDA) is publishing amendments to the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) as a final rule. USDA amends its regulations to reflect the legal termination of the Agriculture Board of Contract Appeals (AGBCA) and the creation of a new consolidated Civilian Board of Contract Appeals (CBCA). Additionally, with respect to appeals heard by the AGBCA other than Contract Disputes Act appeals, the AGBCA transfers or eliminates certain appeal procedures as a result of the termination of the AGBCA. USDA eliminates the appeals of procurement suspension and debarment, as well as the appeals of export violation debarment determinations under the Forest Resources Conservation and Shortage Relief Act (16 U.S.C. 620 et seq.), and transfers jurisdiction to hear Federal Crop Insurance Corporation (FCIC) and Contract Work Hours and Safety Standards appeals to the new consolidated CBCA.

The Federal Crop Insurance Corporation (FCIC) proposes to add to 7 CFR part 457 a new 457.170 that provides insurance for cultivated wild rice. The provisions will be used in conjunction with the Common Crop Insurance Policy Basic Provisions, which contain standard terms and conditions common to most crops. The intended effect of this action is to convert the cultivated wild rice pilot crop insurance program to a permanent insurance program for the 2009 and succeeding crop years.

The Federal Crop Insurance Corporation (FCIC) proposes to amend the Common Crop Insurance Regulations by removing the Quota Tobacco Crop Insurance Provisions, revising the Guaranteed Tobacco Crop Insurance Provisions, and changing the title of the Guaranteed Tobacco Crop Insurance Provisions to Contracted Tobacco Crop Insurance Provisions. The intended effect of this action is to provide policy changes and clarify existing policy provisions to better meet the needs of insured producers. The changes will apply for the 2008 and succeeding crop years.

The Federal Crop Insurance Corporation (FCIC) proposes to amend 7 CFR part 400, subpart R to clarify existing administrative remedies, add additional administrative remedies that are available as a result of enactment of section 515(h) of the Federal Crop Insurance Act (Act) (7 U.S.C. 1515(h)), and make such other changes as are necessary to implement the provisions of section 515(h) of the Act.

Due to an error in the Application Deadline (Section IV Application and Submission Information, C. Submission Dates and Times), the following notice supersedes the original Request for Applications, published on March 7, 2007 for Commodity Partnerships Small Sessions Program at 72 FR 10121-10128. The Federal Crop Insurance Corporation (FCIC), operating through the Risk Management Agency (RMA), announces the availability of approximately $500,000 for Commodity Partnerships for Small Agricultural Risk Management Education Sessions (the Commodity Partnerships Small Sessions Program). The purpose of this cooperative partnership agreement program is to deliver training and information in the management of production, marketing, and financial risk to U.S. agricultural producers. The program gives priority to educating producers of crops currently not insured under Federal crop insurance, specialty crops, and underserved commodities, including livestock and forage. A maximum of 50 cooperative partnership agreements will be funded, with no more than five in each of the ten designated RMA Regions. The maximum award for any cooperative partnership agreement will be $10,000. Awardees must demonstrate non-financial benefits from a cooperative partnership agreement and must agree to the substantial involvement of RMA in the project. Funding availability for this program may be announced at approximately the same time as funding availability for similar but separate programsCFDA No. 10.455 (Community Outreach and Assistance Partnerships), CFDA No. 10.456 (Risk Management Research Partnerships), CFDA No. 10.457 (Commodity Partnerships for Risk Management Education), and CFDA No. 10.458 (Crop Insurance Education in Targeted States). Prospective applicants should carefully examine and compare the notices for each program.

The Federal Crop Insurance Corporation (FCIC), operating through the Risk Management Agency (RMA), announces the availability of approximately $500,000 for Commodity Partnerships for Small Agricultural Risk Management Education Sessions (the Commodity Partnerships Small Sessions Program). The purpose of this cooperative partnership agreement program is to deliver training and information in the management of production, marketing, and financial risk to U.S. agricultural producers. The program gives priority to educating producers of crops currently not insured under Federal crop insurance, specialty crops, and underserved commodities, including livestock and forage. A maximum of 50 cooperative partnership agreements will be funded, with no more than five in each of the ten designated RMA Regions. The maximum award for any cooperative partnership agreement will be $10,000. Awardees must demonstrate non-financial benefits from a cooperative partnership agreement and must agree to the substantial involvement of RMA in the project. Funding availability for this program may be announced at approximately the same time as funding availability for similar but separate programsCFDA No. 10.455 (Community Outreach and Assistance Partnerships), CFDA No. 10.456 (Risk Management Research Partnerships), CFDA No. 10.457 (Commodity Partnerships for Risk Management Education), and CFDA No. 10.458 (Crop Insurance Education in Targeted States). Prospective applicants should carefully examine and compare the notices for each program.

The Federal Crop Insurance Corporation (FCIC), operating through the Risk Management Agency (RMA), announces the availability of approximately $4.5 million to fund cooperative agreements under the Crop Insurance Education in Targeted States program (the Targeted States Program). The purpose of this cooperative agreement program is to deliver crop insurance education and information to U.S. agricultural producers in certain States that have been designated as historically underserved with respect to crop insurance. The states, collectively referred to as Targeted States, are Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Utah, Vermont, West Virginia, and Wyoming. A maximum of 15 cooperative agreements will be funded, one in each of the 15 Targeted States. Awardees of awards must agree to the substantial involvement of RMA in the project. Funding availability for this program may be announced at approximately the same time as funding availability for similar but separate programsCFDA No. 10.455 (Community Outreach and Assistance Partnerships), CFDA No. 10.456 (Risk Management Research Partnerships) CFDA No. 10.457 (Commodity Partnerships for Risk Management Education), and CFDA No. 10.459 (Commodity Partnerships for Small Agricultural Risk Management Education Sessions). Prospective applicants should carefully examine and compare the notices for each program.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C Chapter 35) this notice announces the Risk Management Agency's intention to request an extension for and revision to a currently approved information collection for Notice of Funds Availability Community Outreach and Assistance Partnership Program.