The Department of Agriculture's Commodity Credit Corporation on Feb. 21 announced that Special Import Quota #18 for upland cotton will be established on Feb. 28, allowing importation of 12,619,815 kilograms (57,962 bales) of upland cotton, unchanged from the last quota period. It will apply to upland cotton purchased not later than May 28, 2019, and entered into the U.S. by Aug. 26, 2019. The quota is equivalent to one week's consumption of cotton by domestic mills at the seasonally adjusted average rate for the period October 2018 through December 2018, the most recent three months for which data is available.
The Agricultural Marketing Service issued a final rule to include frozen mangoes as a commodity covered under the mango national research and promotion program, which previously applied only to fresh mangoes. Under the final rule, which takes effect March 25, AMS will assess a fee of $0.01 per pound on imports of frozen mangoes. Imports of less than 200,000 pounds of frozen mangoes per year will be exempt from assessments. AMS issued a separate notice announcing a referendum, to be conducted March 25 through April 12, that will allow importers of fresh and frozen mangoes covered by the promotion order to vote on whether to continue including frozen mangoes in the program.
The Agricultural Marketing Service is ending collection of a 1 cent per pound assessment on importers and producers of processed raspberries, it said in a final rule. Eligible importers and producers voted in a referendum that ended in October to terminate the associated promotion, research and information order on processed raspberries (see 1807290006), AMS said. “The remaining provisions of the Order and regulations issued thereunder will [be] terminated at a later date,” it said. The rule is effective Feb. 21.
The Department of Agriculture's Commodity Credit Corporation on Feb. 14 announced that Special Import Quota #17 for upland cotton will be established on Feb. 21, allowing importation of 12,619,815 kilograms (57,962 bales) of upland cotton. It will apply to upland cotton purchased not later than May 21, 2019, and entered into the U.S. by Aug. 19, 2019. The quota is equivalent to one week's consumption of cotton by domestic mills at the seasonally adjusted average rate for the period October 2018 through December 2018, the most recent three months for which data is available. Special Import Quota #16 was established on Feb. 14, and applied to upland cotton purchased not later than May 14, 2019, and entered into the U.S. by Aug. 12, 2019. The same period for the seasonally adjusted average rate applied.
The Agricultural Marketing Service is proposing to make changes to its National List of substances allowed and prohibited in organic products, it said. "This rule proposes to add elemental sulfur for use as a molluscicide in organic crop production, add polyoxin D zinc salt to control fungal diseases in organic crop production, and reclassify magnesium chloride from an allowed synthetic to an allowed nonsynthetic ingredient in organic handling," the Federal Register notice said. Comments are due April 16.
The Department of Agriculture, in cooperation with the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative, is accepting nominations for members to serve on its agricultural trade advisory committees. The Agricultural Policy Advisory Committee members will advise USDA and USTR on trade policy matters, including current U.S. trade agreements and trade negotiations, according to a USDA news release. The Agricultural Technical Advisory Committees -- representing six specific commodity sectors: animals and animal products; fruits and vegetables; grains, feed, oilseeds and planting seeds; processed foods; sweeteners and sweetener products; and tobacco, cotton and peanuts -- will give technical trade advice on both domestic and foreign production. Nominations must be received by 5 p.m. on March 1 for the APAC and the six ATACs. Nominations received after the deadline will be considered for future appointments.
The Department of Agriculture's Commodity Credit Corporation on Jan. 31 announced that Special Import Quota #15 for upland cotton will be established on Feb. 7, allowing importation of 12,334,220 kilograms (56,650 bales) of upland cotton, the same as for the previous quota period. Quota #15 will apply to upland cotton purchased not later than May 7, 2019, and entered into the U.S. by Aug. 5, 2019. Special Import Quota #14 was established on Jan. 31, and applied to the same quantity of upland cotton purchased not later than April 30, 2019, and entered into the U.S. by July 29, 2019. The quotas are equivalent to one week's consumption of cotton by domestic mills at the seasonally adjusted average rate for the period July 2018 through September 2018, the most recent three months for which data is available.
The Agricultural Marketing Service is eliminating regulations related to eight voluntary standards for fruits and vegetables, though the standards will remain in use, AMS said. For these eight standards, which cover cantaloupes, celery, celery stalks, Persian (Tahiti) limes, peaches, apricots, nectarines and honey dew and honey ball melons, AMS will delete them from the Code of Federal Regulations but will continue the underlying programs, because they are administrable based only on AMS’ authority and no codified regulations are necessary, the agency said. AMS is not removing regulations for other standards at this time because they are referenced in marketing orders, import regulations, export acts or price support programs, it said. The interim final rule takes effect Feb. 1, though comments will be considered if received by April 2.
Farmers will be able to apply for trade assistance payments past the original deadline of Jan. 15, because they have not been able to apply since the partial federal government shutdown began Dec. 22, 2018. Farmers who already certified their production are receiving checks. Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue announced Jan. 8 that the deadline will be extended by the number of business days the government was closed, once the shutdown ends.
Most import and export activities conducted by the Agriculture Department will continue at near full strength in the new year, despite the agency running out of funds for some other activities due to the federal government shutdown, USDA said in a press release. According to the agency’s shutdown plan, 89 percent of Food Safety and Inspection Service staff will remain on the job for activities including meat, poultry and egg inspection and laboratory work. The Agricultural Marketing Service will also keep 89 percent of its current staff, including for voluntary grading and inspection services. For the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, 69 percent will continue working through the shutdown, for preclearance and inspection activities related to fruits and vegetables, phytosanitary certificate and agricultural quarantine and inspection (AQI) activities, including after business hours. More heavily affected is the Foreign Agricultural Service, which will only keep 15 percent of its staff, including foreign service personnel assigned to embassies and consulates overseas.