As USDA's Foreign Agricultural Service creates a $50 million pilot program aimed at bolstering food assistance programming and the supply of non-traditional, shelf-stable commodities, it's seeking public comments on some of the factors that would go into creating the pilot program, including known challenges and barriers around imports, the current production capacity in the U.S. and seasonality and availability of certain commodities for export, and the estimated cost of delivery of commodities to a U.S. port.

Public comments are due by Aug. 8 on a USDA proposed rule that could raise the Agricultural Marketing Service’s research and promotion program import fees for certain watermelon imports. People and companies that import 150,000 pounds or more annually of watermelons would be required to pay “nine cents per hundredweight” of watermelons, USDA said, up from the current "six cents per hundredweight." The agency said those fees are usually paid to CBP upon entry.

The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service reminded APHIS permit holders June 26 that, if their permit was issued in the agency’s legacy ePermits system, they must “apply and establish an account in APHIS eFile to continue working with regulated materials” after ePermits is decommissioned in 2024. “Submit your new application in APHIS eFile as soon as possible to avoid delays,” the agency said. Data from ePermits “will not be transferred to APHIS eFile,” so the permit holder “will need to apply for a new permit in APHIS eFile.” No action is necessary for permits that were issued in APHIS eFile, APHIS said.

The USDA Foreign Agricultural Service published a list of updated quantity trigger levels and applicable periods for products that may be subject to additional import duties under the safeguard provisions of the World Trade Organization Agreement on Agriculture.

The USDA Agricultural Marketing Service is amending U.S. grade standards for pecans in the shell and shelled pecans, it said in a recent notice. The final rule, effective July 26, replaces current grades with U.S. Extra Fancy, U.S. Fancy, U.S. Choice and U.S. Standard grades. AMS is also updating terminology, definitions and defect scoring guides, it said.

The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service initiated 525 agricultural quarantine inspection cases, issued 198 AQI-related official warnings and reached 428 AQI-related pre-litigation settlement agreements in FY 2023, leading to the collection of more than $1 million in penalties, APHIS said in an annual summary of enforcement data released June 27. The agency said one case involved a $360,000 civil penalty “for improper disposal of regulated garbage,” and in another case APHIS negotiated a $150,000 pre-litigation settlement agreement to resolve violations of the Plant Protection Act involving the shipment of plants for planting without APHIS-issued permits or phytosanitary certificates.

The USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service released updated guidance this week on ways to prevent “violative residues in meat and poultry slaughter establishments." FSIS said it collects data on chemical residues in domestic and imported meat, poultry and egg products, and the guidance can help meat processing establishments meet the agency’s requirements on keeping “products that are adulterated because of illegal residues out of commerce.” Public comments on the guidance are due Aug. 26.

The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service will soon allow imports of fresh ginseng roots from South Korea into the U.S., it said in a notice released June 21. An agency pest risk analysis found “the application of one or more designated phytosanitary measures will be sufficient to mitigate the risks of introducing or disseminating plant pests or noxious weeds via the importation of fresh ginseng roots” from South Korea, APHIS said. Imports will be authorized beginning June 24.

USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service is proposing to amend certain Section 8e fees related to the inspection and certification of fresh fruits, vegetables and other products.

USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service has amended restrictions for importing tomatoes and peppers to reflect recent study findings on how the tomato brown rugose fruit virus (ToBRFV) gets transported.