Source: http://thefederalregister.com/2008/12/05/E8-28674.html
Timestamp: 2018-12-11 16:05:09
Document Index: 26566093

Matched Legal Cases: ['§ 1220', '§ 1220', '§ 1220', '§ 1220', '§ 1220', '§ 1220', '§ 1220', '§ 1220', '§ 1220', '§ 1220']

Federal Register | Soybean Promotion, Research, and Information Program: Amend P
SUMMARY: This rule would amend the regulations that provide for procedures to request a referendum under the Soybean Promotion, Research, and Consumer Information Program, commonly known as the soybean checkoff program. The number of soybean producers referred to the in the regulations would change from 663,880 to 589,182, based on information provided by the Department of Agriculture (USDA), Farm Service Agency (FSA). This change is necessary to establish the number of soybean producers who are eligible to participate in the 2009 Request for Referendum. Additionally, this rule would amend the regulations pursuant to administrative changes to Web site addresses and office locations made for the USDA's Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS).
ADDRESSES: Comments may be posted online athttp://www.regulations.gov,or sent to Kenneth R. Payne, Chief, Marketing Programs Branch, Livestock and Seed Program, AMS, USDA, Room 2628-S, STOP 0251, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 20250-0251; or via Fax to (202) 720-1125. Comments will be made available for public inspection at the above address during regular business hours or via the Internet athttp://www.regulations.gov.Comments received will be posedwithout change, including any personal information provided. All comments should reference the docket number, Docket No. AMS-LS-08-0074; the date of submission; and the page number of this issue of theFederal Register.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Kenneth R. Payne, Chief, Marketing Programs Branch, Livestock and Seed Program, AMS, USDA, Room 2628-S, STOP 0251, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 20250-0251; Telephone 202/720-1115; Fax 202/720-1125; or e-mail toKenneth.Payne@usda.gov.
The Act (7 U.S.C. 6301-6311) provides for the establishment of a coordinated program of promotion and research designed to strengthen the soybean industry's position in the marketplace, and to maintain and expand domestic and foreign markets and uses for soybeans and soybean products. The program is financed by an assessment of 0.5 of 1 percent of the net market price of soybeans sold by producers. The final rule establishing a Soybean Promotion, Research, and Consumer Information program was published in the July 9, 1991, issue of theFederal Register(56 FR 31043) and assessments began on September 1, 1991.
The Act also specifies that the Secretary shall, 5 years after the conduct of the initial referendum and every 5 years thereafter, provide soybean producers an opportunity to request a referendum on the Order. Additionally, the Act specifies that these subsequent polls require that at least 10 percent (not in excess of one-fifth in any one State) of all producers must request areferendum in order to trigger the conduct of a referendum. If a referendum is requested, it will be held within 1 year of that determination.
In accordance with the Act, another Request for Referendum will be conducted in 2009. In this proposed rule, data provided by USDA's FSA would be used to amend the number of soybean producers in preparation for this upcoming Request for Referendum. Presently, § 1220.616 of the Order states that the number of soybean producers in the United States is 663,880. The latest number of soybean producers identified by FSA is 589,182 soybean producers for crop years 2006 and 2007, using information based on acreage reports compiled on a daily basis. The data were sorted in such a manner as to include all producers that were engaged in the production of soybeans in at least one of the 2 years and exclude counting a producer more than once if that producer engaged in production during both years. Using the last two crop years for which complete data is available ensures that all eligible producers are counted, as some producers use soybeans in rotation with other crops and do not plant soybeans every year or the market for some producers in a particular crop year may not have been conducive to growing soybeans. This methodology is consistent with that used during the last amendment to § 1220.616 in 2004.
In addition to the changes proposed relating to the number of eligible soybean producers, AMS also intends to amend §§ 1220.622 and 1220.628 to update Web site addresses and office locations as a result of internal changes within the agency.
A 15-day comment period is provided for interested persons to comment on the proposed changes to section 1220.616. This comment period is deemed appropriate because the Act provides that the Secretary, every 5 years after the initial continuation referendum, will give soybean producers the opportunity to request additional referenda on the Order. A 15-day comment period will allow sufficient time to publish a final rule to amend § 1220.616 before the upcoming Request for Referendum. As such, the number of soybean producers eligible to participate in a Request for Referendum will be established, and a Request for Referendum can be conducted as early in 2009 as practicable.
2. In § 1220.616, paragraph (d) is revised to read as follows:
§ 1220.616 General.
§ 1220.622 [Amended]
3. In § 1220.622, paragraph (b) the Web site “www.ams.usda.gov/lsg/mpb/rp-soy.htm” is removed and a new Web site “www.ams.usda.gov/lsmarketingprograms” is added in its place.
4. In § 1220.628, paragraph (a) is revised to read as follows:
§ 1220.628 Results of the request for referendum.
(a) The Administrator, FSA, shall submit to the Administrator, AMS, the reports from all State FSA offices. The Administrator, AMS shall tabulate the results of the Request for Referendum. USDA will issue an official press release announcing the results of the Request for Referendum and publish the same results in theFederal Register. In addition, USDA will post the official results at the following Web site:http://www.ams.usda.gov/lsmarketingprograms.Subsequently, State reports and related papers shall be available for public inspection upon request during normal business hours in the Marketing Programs Branch office, Livestock and Seed Program, AMS, USDA, Room 2628-S, STOP 0251, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW., Washington, DC.
Dated: November 26, 2008. James E. Link, Administrator.