61694 Federal Register / Vol. 75, No. 193 / Wednesday, October 6, 2010 / Notices 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

Agricultural Marketing Service 

[Doc. No. AMS–FV–10–0069; FV10–900– 

1NC] 

Notice of Request for Extension of the 

Organic Assessment Exemption 

AGENCY: Agricultural Marketing Service, 

USDA. 

ACTION: Notice and request for 

comments. 

SUMMARY: In accordance with the 

Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 

U.S.C. 3501), this notice announces the 

Agricultural Marketing Service’s (AMS) 

intention to request an extension for the 

forms currently used by marketers to 

apply for exemption from market 

promotion assessments under 26 

marketing order programs. 

DATES: Comments on this notice must be 

received by December 6, 2010. 

Additional Information: Contact 

Sasha Nel, Marketing Specialist, 

Marketing Order Administration 

Branch, Fruit and Vegetable Programs, 

AMS, USDA, 1400 Independence 

Avenue, SW., Stop 0237, Room 1406–S, 

Washington, DC 20250–0237; Tel: (202) 

205–2829, E-mail: 

sasha.nel@ams.usda.gov. 

Small businesses may request 

information on this notice by contacting 

Antoinette Carter, Marketing Order 

Administration Branch, Fruit and 

Vegetable Programs, AMS, USDA, 1400 

Independence Avenue, SW., Stop 0237, 

Room 1406–S, Washington, DC 20250– 

0237; Tel: (202) 690–3919; or E-mail: 

antoinette.carter@ams.usda.gov. 

Comments: Comments are welcome 

and should reference the docket number 

and the date and page number of this 

issue of the Federal Register, as well as 

the appropriate Marketing Order 

number. Comments may be submitted 

by mail to the Docket Clerk, Fruit and 

Vegetable Programs, AMS, USDA, 1400 

Independence Avenue, SW., Stop 0237, 

Room 1406–S, Washington, DC 20250– 

0237, or online at http:// 

www.regulations.gov. All comments 

received will be available for public 

inspection in the Office of the Docket 

Clerk during regular USDA business 

hours, or they can be viewed at 

http://www.regulations.gov. 

All comments to this notice will be 

summarized and included in the request 

for OMB approval, and will become a 

matter of public record. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Title: Organic Handler Market 

Promotion Assessment Exemption 

under 26 Federal Marketing Orders. 

OMB Number: 0581–0216. 

Expiration Date of Approval: February 

21, 2011. 

Type of Request: Extension of a 

currently-approved information 

collection. 

Abstract: Marketing Order (Order) 

programs provide an opportunity for 

producers of fresh fruit, vegetables, and 

specialty crops in specified production 

areas to work together to solve 

marketing problems that cannot be 

solved individually. 

Under the Agricultural Marketing 

Agreement Act of 1937 as amended (7 

U.S.C. 601–674), Orders may authorize 

production and marketing research, 

including paid advertising, to promote 

various commodities, which is paid for 

by assessments that are levied on the 

handlers who are regulated by the 

Orders. 

On May 13, 2002, the Federal 

Agriculture Improvement and Reform 

Act of 1996 (7 U.S.C. 7201) was 

amended by the Farm Security and 

Rural Investment Act (7 U.S.C. 7901), 

exempting any person who handles or 

markets solely 100 percent organic 

products from paying these assessments 

with respect to any agricultural 

commodity that is produced on a 

certified organic farm, as defined in the 

Organic Foods Production Act of 1990 

(7 U.S.C. 6502). A certified organic 

handler can apply for this exemption by 

completing a ‘‘Certified Organic Handler 

Application for Exemption from Market 

Promotion Assessments Paid Under 

Federal Marketing Orders,’’ and 

submitting it to the applicable 

Marketing Order Committee or Board. 

Section 900.700 of the regulations (7 

CFR part 900.700) provides for 

exemption from assessments. This 

notice applies to the following 

Marketing Order programs: 7 CFR parts 

906, Oranges and grapefruit grown in 

Lower Rio Grande Valley in Texas; 915, 

Avocados grown in south Florida; 916, 

Nectarines grown in California; 917, 

Fresh pears and peaches grown in 

California; 922, Apricots grown in 

designated counties in Washington; 923, 

Sweet cherries grown in designated 

counties in Washington; 924, Fresh 

prunes grown in designated counties in 

Washington and in Umatilla County, 

Oregon; 925, Grapes grown in a 

designated area of southeastern 

California; 927, Pears grown in Oregon 

and Washington; 929, Cranberries 

grown in Massachusetts, Rhode Island, 

Connecticut, New Jersey, Wisconsin, 

Michigan, Minnesota, Oregon, 

Washington, and Long Island in New 

York; 930, Tart cherries grown in 

Michigan, New York, Pennsylvania, 

Oregon, Utah, Washington, and 

Wisconsin; 932, Olives grown in 

California; 947, Irish potatoes grown in 

Modoc and Siskiyou Counties, 

California and in all counties in Oregon, 

except Malheur County; 948, Irish 

potatoes grown in Colorado; 955, 

Vidalia onions grown in Georgia; 956, 

Sweet onions grown in the Walla Walla 

Valley of southeast Washington and 

northeast Oregon; 958, Onions grown in 

certain designated counties in Idaho, 

and Malheur County, Oregon; 959, 

Onions grown in South Texas; 966, 

Tomatoes grown in Florida; 981, 

Almonds grown in California; 982, 

Hazelnuts grown in Oregon and 

Washington; 984, Walnuts grown in 

California; 985, Marketing order 

regulating the handling of spearmint oil 

produced in Washington, Idaho, 

Oregon, and parts of Nevada and Utah; 

987, Domestic dates produced or packed 

in Riverside County, California; 989, 

Raisins produced from grapes grown in 

California; and 993, Dried prunes 

produced in California. 

The information collected is used 

only by authorized Marketing Order 

Committee or Board employees, who are 

the primary users of the information, 

and by authorized representatives of the 

USDA, including the AMS Fruit and 

Vegetable Programs’ regional and 

headquarters staff, who are the 

secondary users of the information. 

Estimate of Burden: The public 

reporting burden for this collection of 

information is estimated to average 30 

minutes per response. 

Respondents: Respondents are eligible 

certified organic handlers. 

Estimated Number of Respondents: 

65. 

Estimated Number of Total Annual 

Responses: 65. 

Estimated Number of Responses per 

Respondent: 1. 

Estimated Total Annual Burden on 

Respondents: 33 hours. 

Comments are invited on: (1) Whether 

the proposed collection of information 

is necessary for the proper performance 

of the functions of the Agency, 

including whether the information will 

have practical utility; (2) the accuracy of 

the Agency’s estimate of the burden of 

the proposed collection of information, 

including the validity of the 

methodology and assumptions used; (3) 

ways to enhance the quality, utility and 

clarity of the information to be 

collected; and (4) ways to minimize the 

burden of the collection of information 

on those who are to respond, including 

through the use of appropriate 

automated, electronic, mechanical, or 

other technological collection 

techniques or other forms of information 

technology. 

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Federal Register / Vol. 75, No. 193 / Wednesday, October 6, 2010 / Notices 61695 

Dated: September 30, 2010. 

David R. Shipman, 

Acting Administrator, Agricultural Marketing 

Service. 

[FR Doc. 2010–25063 Filed 10–5–10; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3410–02–P 

AGENCY FOR INTERNATIONAL 

DEVELOPMENT 

Board for International Food and 

Agricultural Development; One 

Hundred and Sixtieth Meeting; Notice 

of Meeting 

Pursuant to the Federal Advisory 

Committee Act, notice is hereby given of 

the one hundred and sixtieth meeting of 

the Board for International Food and 

Agricultural Development (BIFAD). The 

meeting will be held from 8:15 a.m. to 

4 p.m. on October 12, 2010 at the Des 

Moines Marriott Downtown located at 

700 Grand Avenue, Des Moines, Iowa. 

The meeting venue is in the Marriott 

Hotel’s Iowa Ballroom, Salons A, B, and 

C located on the second floor. ‘‘Higher 

Education: A Critical Partner in Global 

Food Security’’ will be the central theme 

of the October meeting. 

Dr. Robert Easter, Chairman of BIFAD, 

will preside over the proceedings. Dr. 

Easter is Interim Chancellor and 

Provost, University of Illinois at UrbanaChampaign. 

On May 20 of this year, the 

Administration officially rolled out its 

global food security strategy, known as 

‘‘Feed the Future.’’ This new initiative 

has generated considerable anticipation 

within the higher education community, 

especially since one of the Agency’s 

main program pillars will be expansion 

of research and development to increase 

agricultural productivity globally. As 

part of the plan to increase agricultural 

research, USAID and USDA have 

developed the Borlaug Initiative. 

Concurrently, USAID is undertaking a 

Science and Technology Initiative to 

improve dramatically its scientific 

capacity to carry out Feed the Future 

and other critical global development 

challenges that increasingly necessitate 

scientific analysis. The 160th BIFAD 

meeting will review these efforts and 

provide a forum to advance the dialogue 

between the Title XII community and 

their Federal partners. 

To set the stage for the day’s 

activities, the Board will begin with a 

presentation by Dr. Allen C. 

Christensen, past Board member and 

Director of the Benson Agricultural and 

Food Institute at Brigham Young 

University. Dr Christensen will provide 

a historical perspective on important 

contributions Title XII and universities 

have made over the years, particularly 

during the last global food crisis 25–30 

years ago, toward improving the plight 

of the small, rural farmer in developing 

countries. The lessons learned over the 

years can have an important impact for 

moving forward with a new global food 

security policy paradigm. 

With Dr. Christensen’s presentation as 

the backdrop, the Board will then move 

forward to sign a Memorandum of 

Understanding that outlines strategic 

areas of cooperation on science and 

technology in development over the 

coming months. Signing on behalf of 

USAID will be Dr. Alex Dehgan, the 

Agency’s Chief Scientist and Director of 

the Agency’s new Office of Science and 

Technology. Signing for BIFAD will be 

Chairman Robert Easter. Dr. Dehgan will 

make remarks regarding USAID’s 

strategic priority on ‘‘Transforming 

Development through Science, 

Technology and Innovation (STI).’’ 

After the signing ceremony, the Board 

will then proceed to its main theme of 

the meeting, highlighting the potential 

role of universities in the 

Administration’s Feed the Future 

Initiative and USAID’s renewed STI 

focus. This session will last two hours 

and provide an opportunity for the Title 

XII community to learn more about the 

Administration’s global food security 

strategy while demonstrating the value 

added of greater university engagement. 

A panel of USAID and USDA speakers 

will discuss an array of plans and ideas 

under development for addressing 

global agricultural problems. A panel 

focusing on the role of research and 

representing the Title XII community 

will follow. It is expected that a Director 

of a Managing Entity of a Collaborative 

Research Support Program (CRSP) will 

participate on the panel and explain 

how the CRSP model can help achieve 

research goals of Feed the Future. 

Another panel member will discuss how 

the Africa-U.S. Higher Education 

Initiative can build agricultural capacity 

in Sub-Saharan African universities for 

sustainable agricultural development. 

One or two Deans of Land-Grant 

universities will round out the panel. 

Their message will highlight how 

universities have responded to change 

and have been in the vanguard of new 

approaches, processes, technologies, 

etc., in the functional areas of teaching, 

research, and extension for addressing 

global problems. 

The Board will then move into the 

public comment period. At the 

conclusion of comments from the 

public, the Board will recess for an 

executive luncheon (closed to the 

public). 

When the Board re-convenes, it will 

hear a panel discussion on the recent 

workshop conducted by the Minority 

Serving Institutions Task Force, 

established by BIFAD last year to 

rejuvenate the partnership between 

USAID and Minority Serving 

Institutions. The panel will be 

moderated by Board member William 

DeLauder, who chairs the Task Force. 

The Board will then hear a report on 

the activities of the Haiti Task Force, 

which the Board established in 2010 in 

response to the tragic earthquake in 

Haiti. The Task Force is chaired by 

Board member Elsa Murano, who will 

present a proposal for the long-term 

rebuilding of Haiti’s agricultural system. 

After the Haiti Task Force 

presentation, BIFAD will hear two short 

reports summarizing efforts to build 

agricultural higher education capacity 

in Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan. Title 

XII institutions continue to play an 

important role in helping the civilian 

populations of these countries improve 

agricultural productivity amidst past 

and ongoing hostilities. 

The Board will wrap up its day’s 

proceedings with an update on the Title 

XII report to Congress for FY 2009. The 

presentation will be made by John 

Becker, USAID/ODP. The Title XII 

annual report to Congress is required by 

Title XII of the Foreign Assistance Act, 

and provides an opportunity for 

BIFAD’s views to be incorporated in the 

report. 

After the presentations are concluded 

for the day, but before adjournment, the 

Board will provide another opportunity 

for public comment. 

The Board meeting is open to the 

public. The Board welcomes open 

dialogue to promote greater focus on 

critical issues facing USAID, the role of 

universities in development, and 

applications of U.S. scientific, technical 

and institutional capabilities to 

international agriculture. Note on Public 

Comments: Due to time constraints 

public comments to the Board will be 

limited to three (3) minutes to 

accommodate as many as possible. It is 

preferred to have requests for comments 

submitted to the Board in writing. Two 

periods for public comment will be 

provided during the Board meeting— 

just before lunch and adjournment. 

Those wishing to attend the meeting 

or obtain additional information about 

BIFAD should contact Dr. Ronald S. 

Senykoff, Executive Director and 

Designated Federal Officer for BIFAD. 

Write him in care of the U.S. Agency for 

International Development, Ronald 

Reagan Building, Office of Development 

Partners, 1300 Pennsylvania Avenue, 

NW., Room 6.7–153, Washington, DC 

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