Proposed Rule2021-14280
Pecans Grown in the States of Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, Kansas, Louisiana, Missouri, Mississippi, North Carolina, New Mexico, Oklahoma, South Carolina, and Texas; Continuance Referendum; Reopening of Voting Period
Primary source
Metadata and text below are from the Federal Register, a public-domain U.S. government work. Always verify the official published version before relying on it for any legal matter.
Published
July 6, 2021
Issuing agencies
Agriculture DepartmentAgricultural Marketing Service
Abstract
This document reopens the voting period for the referendum being conducted among eligible growers of pecans grown in the states of Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, Kansas, Louisiana, Missouri, Mississippi, North Carolina, New Mexico, Oklahoma, South Carolina, and Texas to determine whether they favor continuance of the marketing order regulating the handling of pecans produced in the production area. The voting period has been reopened for an additional 25 days from June 29, 2021, to July 23, 2021.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 86 Issue 126 (Tuesday, July 6, 2021)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 126 (Tuesday, July 6, 2021)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Page 35409]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2021-14280]
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Proposed Rules
Federal Register
________________________________________________________________________
This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER contains notices to the public of
the proposed issuance of rules and regulations. The purpose of these
notices is to give interested persons an opportunity to participate in
the rule making prior to the adoption of the final rules.
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Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 126 / Tuesday, July 6, 2021 /
Proposed Rules
[[Page 35409]]
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Agricultural Marketing Service
7 CFR Part 986
[Doc. No. AMS-SC-20-0081; SC20-986-2 CR]
Pecans Grown in the States of Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona,
California, Florida, Georgia, Kansas, Louisiana, Missouri, Mississippi,
North Carolina, New Mexico, Oklahoma, South Carolina, and Texas;
Continuance Referendum; Reopening of Voting Period
AGENCY: Agricultural Marketing Service, USDA.
ACTION: Referendum order; amendment to referendum order.
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SUMMARY: This document reopens the voting period for the referendum
being conducted among eligible growers of pecans grown in the states of
Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, Kansas,
Louisiana, Missouri, Mississippi, North Carolina, New Mexico, Oklahoma,
South Carolina, and Texas to determine whether they favor continuance
of the marketing order regulating the handling of pecans produced in
the production area. The voting period has been reopened for an
additional 25 days from June 29, 2021, to July 23, 2021.
DATES: The voting period for the referendum will be reopened from June
29 through July 23, 2021. Only current pecan growers within the
production area that produced a minimum average of 50,000 pounds of
inshell pecans over the four years from October 1, 2016, to September
30, 2020, or own a minimum of 30 pecan acres are eligible to vote in
this referendum.
ADDRESSES: Copies of the marketing order may be obtained from the
Southeast Marketing Field Office, Marketing Order and Agreement
Division, Specialty Crops Program, AMS, USDA, 1124 First Street South,
Winter Haven, FL 33880; Telephone: (863) 324-3375; or from the
Marketing Order and Agreement Division, Specialty Crops Program, AMS,
USDA, 1400 Independence Avenue SW, Stop 0237, Washington, DC 20250-
0237; Telephone: (202) 720-2491; or on the internet: <a href="https://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?SID=cf046522bce89ba62d75961df4db8b6d&mc=true&node=pt7.8.986&rgn=div5">https://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?SID=cf046522bce89ba62d75961df4db8b6d&mc=true&node=pt7.8.986&rgn=div5</a>
.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Abigail Campos, Marketing Specialist,
or Christian D. Nissen, Regional Director, Southeast Marketing Field
Office, Marketing Order and Agreement Division, Specialty Crops
Program, AMS, USDA, 1124 First Street South, Winter Haven, FL 33880;
Telephone: (863) 324-3375, Fax: (863) 291-8614, or Email:
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#5213303b35333b3e7c11333f223d2112272136337c353d24"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="febf9c97999f9792d0bd9f938e918dbe8b8d9a9fd0999188">[email protected]</span></a> or <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#7b38130912080f121a1555351208081e153b0e081f1a551c140d"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="8ccfe4fee5fff8e5ede2a2c2e5ffffe9e2ccf9ffe8eda2ebe3fa">[email protected]</span></a>.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Pursuant to Marketing Agreement and Order
No. 986, as amended (7 CFR part 986), hereinafter referred to as the
``Order,'' and the applicable provisions of the Agricultural Marketing
Agreement Act of 1937, as amended (7 U.S.C. 601-674), hereinafter
referred to as the ``Act,'' it is hereby directed that a referendum be
conducted to ascertain whether continuance of the Order is favored by
growers.
A referendum order was published in the Federal Register on April
13, 2021 (86 FR 19152). The referendum order specified that the voting
period would be from June 7, 2021, through June 28, 2021. USDA has
received requests from industry members to extend the voting period as
not all eligible growers had received ballots and needed additional
time to request one prior to the end of the voting period. Therefore,
to facilitate full grower participation in the referendum, USDA is
reopening the voting period from June 29 through July 23, 2021. During
this time, USDA will continue to mail ballots to eligible voters who
request a ballot. All ballots received during the previous voting
period and the reopened voting period will be accepted. Voters who have
already submitted a ballot need to take no further action.
To be eligible to participate in the continuance referendum, a
grower must have produced a minimum average of 50,000 pounds of inshell
pecans during the four-year period from October 1, 2016, to September
30, 2020 or must own a minimum of 30 pecan acres.
USDA has determined continuance referenda are an effective means
for determining whether growers favor the continuation of marketing
order programs. The Order will continue in effect if two-thirds of the
growers that cast votes, or growers representing two-thirds of the
volume of pecans voted in the referendum, cast ballots in favor of
continuance. In evaluating the merits of continuance versus
termination, USDA will determine whether continued operation of the
Order would tend to effectuate the declared policy of the Act.
In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C.
Chapter 35), the ballots used in the referendum have been approved by
the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and have been assigned OMB
No. 0581-0291, Federal Marketing Order for Pecans. It has been
estimated it will take an average of 20 minutes for each of the
approximately 4,270 growers of pecans to cast a ballot. Participation
is voluntary. Ballots postmarked after July 23, 2021, will not be
included in the vote tabulation.
Abigail Campos, Dolores Lowenstine, and Christian D. Nissen of the
Southeast Marketing Field Office, Specialty Crops Program, AMS, USDA,
are hereby designated as the referendum agents for the Secretary of
Agriculture to conduct this referendum. The procedure applicable to the
referendum shall be the ``Procedure for the Conduct of Referenda in
Connection with Marketing Orders for Fruits, Vegetables, and Nuts
Pursuant to the Agricultural Marketing Agreement Act of 1937, as
Amended'' (7 CFR 900.400 et seq.).
Ballots may be obtained from the referendum agents or their
appointees at the previously mentioned contact information.
List of Subjects in 7 CFR Part 986
Marketing agreements, Pecans, Reporting and recordkeeping
requirements.
Authority: 7 U.S.C. 601-674.
Erin Morris,
Associate Administrator, Agricultural Marketing Service.
[FR Doc. 2021-14280 Filed 7-2-21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE P
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