Trendpublic

🌾Flax Revenue and Crop Insurance Regulatory Update

The Federal Crop Insurance Corporation (FCIC) is reopening the comment period for 30 days to allow the public additional time to provide comments on our regulation that allowed revenue coverage for flax under the Small Grain Crop Insurance Provisions, combined written agreement deadlines in the Dry Bean Crop Insurance Provisions to match other insurance policies, expanded the availability of enterprise and optional units for some specialty and perennial crops, and made clarifications and corrections to the Area Risk Protection Insurance, Basic Provisions; Common Crop Insurance Policy, Basic Provisions; and several Crop Provisions published on November 27, 2024 and effective on November 30, 2024.

🌍EPA Extends Comment Periods on Key Regulatory Notices

This document extends the comment period for three notices published by the Environmental Protection Agency in the Federal Register on December 3, 2024 and December 13, 2024.

🌾USDA Notice on Local Food Marketing Practices Information Collection

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this notice announces the intention of the National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) to seek approval to reinstate an information collection to gather data related to the production and marketing of foods directly from farm producers to consumers or retailers. In addition, NASS will collect some whole-farm data to be used to classify and group operations for summarizing and publication of results.

💧Memorandum on Enhancing Water Supply in Southern California

The memorandum emphasizes the urgent need for a reliable water supply in Southern California, advocating for the resumption of water routing from the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. It highlights challenges posed by environmental regulations and ongoing water waste, while underscoring the critical impacts of wildfires and water scarcity on the state's residents and businesses.

🌱USDA Notice on Annual Organic Survey

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this notice announces the intention of the National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) to request revision and extension of a currently approved information collection, the Annual Organic Survey. USDA's Risk Management Agency (RMA) typically funds an organic production and practices survey in years where the Census of Agriculture Special Study for Organics is not conducted. The next Special Study is planned for 2025 (enumerated in early 2026). With the completion of the 2022 Census of Agriculture, NASS will conduct the Special Study again, return it to its' original scope of questions and the mandatory reporting requirement. This request will also include the 2026 and 2027 voluntary surveys that are funded by USDA-RMA. A minor revision to burden hours will be needed to account for the anticipated data collection plan for the upcoming surveys along with adding some cognitive interviews to test requested changes to the annual surveys.

📊Delay of Inspection Fees Regulations Impacting Agricultural Imports

This document delays the effective date of the December 30, 2024, final rule revising the regulations governing the inspection and certification for fresh fruits, vegetables, and other products by amending certain fees charged for Section 8e import inspections. These revisions recover, as nearly as practicable, the costs of performing inspection services on imported commodities in accordance with the Agricultural Marketing Agreement Act of 1937.

🐎Analysis of Postponed Horse Protection Amendments and Business Impact

On May 8, 2024, we published a final rule amending the horse protection regulations to provide, among other provisions, that the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service will screen, train, and authorize qualified persons for appointment by the management of any horse show, horse exhibition, or horse sale or auction to detect and diagnose soring at such events for the purposes of enforcing the Horse Protection Act. With the exception of Sec. 11.19, which went into effect on June 7, 2024, the remainder of the rule was scheduled to go into effect on February 1, 2025. In this document, we are issuing a temporary postponement of the effective date of those regulations for 60 days, from February 1, 2025 to April 2, 2025.

📑OMB Review Notice

📝Date Correction for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Rule

🌱USDA Notice

This notice announces the Agricultural Marketing Service's (AMS) intention to request approval from the Office of Management and Budget, for extension of a currently approved collection titled: Agritourism Directory, from the Office of Management and Budget 0581- 0332. Under the Agricultural Marketing Act of 1946, as amended, AMS is responsible for conducting research to enhance market access for small and medium sized farmers. The role of the Local and Regional Foods Division of AMS is to facilitate the fair and efficient marketing of U.S. agricultural products. This information is used to populate the USDA's National Local Food Directories that assists customers looking to buy fresh local foods for their families to wholesale food buyers.