7 CFR Chapter VII - FARM SERVICE AGENCY, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

This final rule adjusts representation on the Cattlemen's Beef Promotion and Research Board (Board), established under the Beef Promotion and Research Act of 1985 (Act), to reflect changes in domestic cattle inventories and changes in levels of imported cattle, beef, and beef products that have occurred since the Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) last reapportioned the Board in July 2014. These adjustments are required by the Beef Promotion and Research Order (Order) and will result in a decrease in Board membership from 100 to 99, effective with the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) appointments for terms beginning early in the year 2018.

This proposed rule would implement a recommendation from the American Pecan Council (Council) to establish the initial assessment rates for the 2016-2017 and subsequent fiscal years at $0.03 per pound for improved varieties, $0.02 per pound for native and seedling varieties, and $0.02 for substandard pecans handled under the pecan marketing order (order). The Council administers the order and is comprised of growers and handlers of pecans operating within the production area and a public member. Assessments upon pecan handlers would be used by the Council to fund reasonable and necessary expenses of the program. The fiscal year begins October 1 and ends September 30. The assessment rates would remain in effect indefinitely unless modified, suspended, or terminated.

This document contains a correction to the final rule published in the Federal Register on June 3, 2016, entitled “Guaranteed Loanmaking and Servicing Regulations.” The Rural Business-Cooperative Service (Agency) is an agency within the Rural Development mission area of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) responsible for administering the Business and Industry (B&I) Guaranteed Loan Program. The B&I Guaranteed Loan Program is authorized by the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act and provides loan guarantees to banks and other approved lenders to finance private businesses located in rural areas.

This recommended decision proposes amendments to Marketing Order No. 989 (order), which regulates the handling of raisins grown in California. Five amendments are proposed by the Raisin Administrative Committee (RAC or Committee), which is responsible for local administration of the order. These proposed amendments would: Authorize production research; establish new nomination procedures for independent producer member and alternate member seats; add authority to regulate quality; add authority to establish different regulations for different markets; and add a continuance referenda requirement. In addition, the Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) proposed two amendments. These amendments would remove order language pertaining to volume regulation and reserve pool authority and would establish term limits for Committee members. In addition, AMS proposed to make any such changes as may be necessary to the order to conform to any amendment that may result from the hearing. These proposed amendments are intended to update the order to reflect changes in the industry and potential future changes, and to improve the operation and administration of the order.

This rule proposes one amendment to Marketing Order No. 984 (order), which regulates the handling of walnuts grown in California, and provides growers with the opportunity to vote in a referendum to determine if they favor the change. This amendment was proposed by the California Walnut Board (Board), which is responsible for the local administration of the order and is comprised of walnut growers and handlers operating within the production area. The amendment would authorize the Board to borrow from a commercial lending institution to fund operations and marketing/research expenses. This proposed amendment is intended to reflect a customary business practice that will provide greater flexibility to the Board while increasing its effectiveness.

The National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) is publishing as a final rule, a set of general and specific administrative requirements applicable to competitive and non-competitive non-formula programs. The purpose of this final rule is to implement sections of the Agriculture Act of 2014 (Pub. L. 113-79 or the 2014 Farm Bill), making it necessary to add a new section for centers of excellence by modifying Subparts A, B, C and D of the general administrative provisions. Although this final rule becomes effective on the date of publication, NIFA is requesting comments for a 30-day period as identified below.

The Department of Agriculture (USDA), Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards Administration (GIPSA) is revising the U.S. Standards for Barley (barley standards) under the United States Grain Standards Act (USGSA) by revising the definitions of other terms to remove Six-rowed Blue Malting barley and the reference to kernels with white aleurone layers. Further, GIPSA is revising the barley standards to add the factors injured-by mold and mold-damaged kernels to the subclass Six-rowed Malting barley. Finally, GIPSA is revising the grade requirements for Two-rowed Malting Barley and Six-rowed Malting barley, and removing those for Six-rowed Blue Malting barley.

The Rural Business-Cooperative Service, Rural Housing Service, Rural Utilities Service, and Farm Service Agency published a document in the Federal Register on March 2, 2016 (81 FR 11000), entitled “Environmental Policies and Procedures.” The rule replaced two existing rules relating to the Agencies' procedures for implementing NEPA. These corrections will replace references in several paragraphs to one of the former rules, 7 CFR part 1940, subpart G, which is now obsolete.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA), this notice announces the Agricultural Marketing Service's (AMS) intention to request approval from the Office of Management and Budget for a new information collection: Proposed California Federal Milk Marketing Order; Referendum Procedures.

The Farm Service Agency (FSA) administers the FSFL Program on behalf of the Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC). In the final rule that was published in the Federal Register on April 29, 2016, a word was inadvertently removed from the regulations. This document reinserts that word back into the regulation.

This proposed rule would implement a recommendation from the Far West Spearmint Oil Administrative Committee (Committee) to establish the quantity of spearmint oil produced in the Far West, by class, that handlers may purchase from, or handle on behalf of, producers during the 2017-2018 marketing year, which begins on June 1, 2017. The Far West production area includes the states of Washington, Idaho, Oregon, and designated parts of Nevada and Utah. The Committee locally administers the marketing order and is comprised of spearmint oil producers operating within the area of production, and a public member. This action would establish salable quantities and allotment percentages for Class 1 (Scotch) spearmint oil of 774,645 pounds and 36 percent, respectively, and for Class 3 (Native) spearmint oil of 1,075,051 pounds and 44 percent, respectively. The Committee recommended these salable quantities and allotment percentages to help maintain stability in the spearmint oil market.

The National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) is publishing a final rule for the Veterinary Services Grants Program. NIFA's development of these regulations serves to enhance its accountability and to standardize procedures across the Federal assistance programs it administers while providing transparency to the public.

On December 23, 2016, we published a final rule amending the fruits and vegetables regulations to allow the importation of lemons from northwest Argentina into the continental United States under certain conditions. In a document published on January 25, 2017, we stayed the regulations for 60 days ending March 27, 2017. In this document, we are issuing an additional stay of those regulations.

Notice is hereby given that Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) is reopening the comment period on the proposed rule that invited comments on the revision of the U.S. Standards for Grades of Shelled Walnuts and U.S. Standards for Grades of Walnuts in the Shell published in the Federal Register on November 25, 2016. The comment period for this proposed rule closed on January 24, 2017. The changes are intended to modernize the standards, and meet consumer demands by providing greater marketing flexibility.

This rule implements a recommendation from the Florida Tomato Committee (Committee) for an increase in the assessment rate established for the 2016-17 and subsequent fiscal periods from $0.03 to $0.035 per 25-pound carton of tomatoes handled under the marketing order (order). The Committee locally administers the order and is comprised of producers of tomatoes operating within the area of production. 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 will remain in effect indefinitely unless modified, suspended, or terminated.

Notice is hereby given that the Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) is reopening the comment period for the document inviting comments on a proposal to create new United States Standards for Grades of Frozen Onions and request for comments published in the Federal Register on November 23, 2016. The comment period for this document closed on January 23, 2017. The grade standards would provide a common language for trade, a means of measuring value in the marketing of frozen onions, and guidance on the effective use of frozen onions.

The Department of Agriculture's Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) is re-opening the comment period for the proposed rule published December 1, 2016. The proposed action would implement four sections of the Agricultural Act of 2014 (2014 Farm Bill), affecting eligibility, benefits, and program administration requirements for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). Section 4007 clarifies that participants in a SNAP Employment & Training (E&T) program are eligible for benefits if they are enrolled or participate in specific programs that will assist SNAP recipients in obtaining the skills needed for the current job market. Section 4008 prohibits anyone convicted of Federal aggravated sexual abuse, murder, sexual exploitation and abuse of children, sexual assault, or similar State laws, and who are also not in compliance with the terms of their sentence or parole or are a fleeing felon, from receiving SNAP benefits. Section 4009 prohibits households containing a member with substantial lottery and gambling winnings from receiving SNAP benefits, until the household meets the allowable financial resources and income eligibility requirements of the program. Section 4009 also provides that State SNAP agencies are required, to the maximum extent practicable, to establish cooperative agreements with gaming entities in the State to identify SNAP recipients with substantial winnings. Section 4015 requires all State agencies to have a system in place to verify income, eligibility and immigration status.

Notice is hereby given that the Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) is reopening the comment period on the proposed rule to change the reporting of export certificate information under regulations issued pursuant to the Export Apple Act (7 CFR part 33) and the Export Grape and Plum Act (7 CFR part 35). The proposed rule would require shippers of apples and grapes exported from the United States to electronically enter an Export Form Certificate number or a USDA-defined exemption code into the Automated Export System (AES). This rule would also define “shipper,” shift the current file retention requirement from carriers to shippers, and require shippers to provide, upon request, copies of the certificates to AMS. The proposed rule would also remove obsolete regulations and make clarifying changes. It also announced AMS' intention to request revision to a currently approved information collection for exported apples and grapes.