The Agricultural Marketing Service is proposing a new research, promotion and information order for organic products, it said (here). Under the program, importers that import organic products worth over $250,000 in transaction value reported to CBP would pay an assessment of 0.1% of the transaction value imported. Domestic handlers and producers would pay the same rate on the value of their sales. The money would fund an organic research and promotion program for the purposes of: “(1) developing and financing an effective and coordinated program of research, promotion, industry information, and consumer education regarding organic commodities; and (2) maintaining and expanding existing markets for organic commodities,” AMS said. AMS would hold a referendum of organic producers, handlers and importers before implementing any promotion order, it said. The agency outlined proposed referendum procedures in a separate notice (here). Comments on the proposed organic research, promotion and information order are due March 20.
The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service announced changes Jan. 13 to Plant Protection and Quarantine (PPQ) electronic manuals. While some changes are minor, other changes may affect the admissibility of the plant products, including fruits, vegetables and flowers.
The Agricultural Marketing Service is proposing to end exemptions that allow the use in organic products of 11 non-organic substances, it said (here). Exemptions would end for lignin sulfonate, furosemide, magnesium carbonate, Chia, dillweed oil, frozen galangal, inulin, frozen lemongrass, chipotle chile peppers, Turkish bay leaves and whey protein concentrate. AMS is considering the changes as part of its 2017 sunset review of the organic National List. Comments are due March 20.
On Jan. 12 the Foreign Agricultural Service posted the following GAIN reports:
The Department of Agriculture's Commodity Credit Corporation on Jan. 12 announced Special Import Quota #17 for upland cotton will be established on Jan. 19, allowing importation of 13,866,053 kilograms (63,686 bales) (here). It will apply to upland cotton purchased not later than April 18, 2017, and entered into the U.S. by July 17, 2017. The quota is equivalent to one week's consumption of cotton by domestic mills at the seasonally adjusted average rate for the period August through October, the most recent three months for which data are available.
The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service is reopening the comment period until Feb. 16 on a recent proposed rule to allow imports of Haas avocados from Colombia into the continental U.S., it said (here). Under the proposed rule, issued in October (see 1610260019), APHIS would set conditions on importation including monitoring of places of production and packinghouses; pest-free places of production; grove sanitation, monitoring and pest control practices; lot identification; and inspection for quarantine pests in Colombia. Haas avocados from Colombia would also have to be accompanied by a phytosanitary certificate from the Colombian government.
On Jan. 11 the Foreign Agricultural Service posted the following GAIN reports:
The Agricultural Marketing Service is proposing to subject muscle cuts of venison and ground venison to country of origin labeling (COOL) requirements, it said (here). The agency’s proposed rule would add venison and ground venison to the list of products covered by the COOL regulation, which currently includes lamb, chicken and goat, each in both muscle cut and ground forms. If the rule is finalized, “[r]etailers and suppliers would subsequently be required to keep records and provide their customers notification of the country of origin of muscle cuts and ground venison that they sell,” AMS said. “Individuals that supply venison, whether directly to retailers or indirectly through other participants in the marketing chain, would be required to establish and maintain country of origin information for venison and supply this information to retailers. As a result, producers, handlers, manufacturers, wholesalers, importers, and retailers of venison would be affected,” it said. AMS repealed COOL requirements for pork and beef in March 2016 after the World Trade Organization ruled the regulations violated WTO rules (see 1603020019 and 1505180018).
On Jan. 10 the Foreign Agricultural Service posted the following GAIN reports:
The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service announced changes Jan. 10 to Plant Protection and Quarantine (PPQ) electronic manuals. While some changes are minor, other changes may affect the admissibility of the plant products, including fruits, vegetables and flowers.