[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 117 (Monday, June 17, 1996)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 30497-30498]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-15093]



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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
7 CFR Part 929

[Docket No. FV-96-929-1FR]


Cranberries Grown in the States of Massachusetts, Rhode Island, 
Connecticut, New Jersey, Wisconsin, Michigan, Minnesota, Oregon, 
Washington, and Long Island in the State of New York; Change in 
Reporting Requirements

AGENCY: Agricultural Marketing Service, USDA.

ACTION: Final rule.

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SUMMARY: This final rule modifies language in the cranberry marketing 
order's rules and regulations to change the first date by which 
handlers must file their acquisition reports from February 5 to January 
5 during each crop year. This rule will provide more useful production 
information to the cranberry industry at an earlier time and is based 
on a recommendation of the Cranberry Marketing Committee (Committee), 
which is responsible for local administration of the order.

EFFECTIVE DATE: This final rule becomes effective July 17, 1996.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Patricia A. Petrella or Kathleen M. 
Finn, Marketing Specialists, Marketing Order Administration Branch, 
F&V, AMS, USDA, room 2522-S, P.O. Box 96456, Washington, DC 20090-6456: 
telephone: (202) 720-1509, Fax # (202) 720-5698.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This final rule is issued under Marketing 
Order No. 929 (7 CFR Part 929), as amended, regulating the handling of 
cranberries grown in 10 States, hereinafter referred to as the 
``order.'' The order is effective under the Agricultural Marketing 
Agreement Act of 1937, as amended (7 U.S.C. 601-674), hereinafter 
referred to as the ``Act.''
    The Department of Agriculture (Department) is issuing this final 
rule in conformance with Executive Order 12866.
    This final rule has been reviewed under Executive Order 12778, 
Civil Justice Reform. This rule is not intended to have retroactive 
effect. This final rule will not preempt any State or local laws, 
regulations, or policies, unless they present an irreconcilable 
conflict with this rule.
    The Act provides that administrative proceedings must be exhausted 
before parties may file suit in court. Under section 608c(15)(A) of the 
Act, any handler subject to an order may file with the Secretary a 
petition stating that the order, any provision of the order, or any 
obligation imposed in connection with the order is not in accordance 
with law and request a modification of the order or to be exempted 
therefrom. A handler is afforded the opportunity for a hearing on the 
petition. After the hearing the Secretary will rule on the petition. 
The Act provides that the district court of the United States in any 
district in which the handler is an inhabitant, or has his or her 
principal place of business, has jurisdiction to review the Secretary's 
ruling on the petition, provided an action is filed not later than 20 
days after date of the entry of the ruling.
    Pursuant to requirements set forth in the Regulatory Flexibility 
Act (RFA), the Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) has considered the 
economic impact of this action on small entities.
    The purpose of the RFA is to fit regulatory actions to the scale of 
business subject to such actions in order that small businesses will 
not be unduly or disproportionately burdened. Marketing orders issued 
pursuant to the Act, and rules issued thereunder, are unique in that 
they are brought about through group action of essentially small 
entities acting on their own behalf. Thus, both statutes have small 
entity orientation and compatibility.
    There are approximately 15 handlers of cranberries who are subject 
to regulation under the marketing order and approximately 1,100 
producers of cranberries in the regulated area. Small agricultural 
service firms, which includes handlers, have been defined by the Small 
Business Administration (13 CFR 121.601) as those having annual 
receipts of less than $5,000,000, and small agricultural producers are 
defined as those having annual receipts of less than $500,000. A 
majority of handlers and producers of cranberries may be classified as 
small entities.
    This rule modifies the language in the order's rules and 
regulations to change the first date by which handlers must file their 
acquisition reports from February 5 to January 5. The committee 
unanimously recommended that the date be changed from February 5 to 
January 1. The Department proposed modifying the recommendation by 
requiring the first report to be filed by January 5 in order to allow 
sufficient time for the handlers to file the reports.
    Section 929.62(b) of the cranberry marketing order provides 
authority to require each handler to file promptly with the committee a 
certified report as to the quantity of cranberries acquired during such 
period as may be specified. The fiscal period under the order is from 
September 1 of one year through August 31 of the following year. 
Section 929.105(b) of the order's rules and regulations prescribe that 
certified reports shall be filed by each handler to the committee not 
later than the 5th day of February, May, and August of each fiscal 
period and the 5th day of September of the succeeding fiscal period. 
Such report shall show the total quantity of cranberries the handler 
acquired and the total quantity of cranberries the handler handled from 
the beginning of the reporting period indicated through January 31, 
April 30, July 31, and August 31, respectively.
    The committee recommended that the first acquisition report due to 
the committee on February 5 that shows the total quantity of 
cranberries the handler acquired through January 31 be changed to an 
earlier date. This will provide producers and handlers vital production 
information earlier in the season and allow them to plan accordingly. 
The order's reporting and recordkeeping requirements have not been 
amended since 1988. Handlers' techniques in gathering and recording 
acquisition data have progressed considerably over the last seven 
years. Handlers have indicated that they could provide the committee 
with an acquisition report prior to January 1 of the crop year.
    Therefore, the committee recommended that section 929.105(b) be 
revised by changing the first reporting

[[Page 30498]]

due date from February 5 to January 1. As stated previously, the 
Department has modified this date from January 1 to January 5. The 
first acquisition report currently shows the total quantity of 
cranberries acquired and the total quantity of cranberries handled from 
the beginning of the reporting period through January 31. The committee 
also recommended that the January 31 date be changed to December 31 to 
make the report consistent with the new due date. In addition, the 
Department is modifying Sec. 929.105(b) by listing each one of the due 
dates. This will make the section easier to understand as to when each 
report is due.
    The proposed rule concerning this action was published in the April 
22, 1996, Federal Register (78 FR 17586), with a 30-day comment period 
ending May 22, 1996. No comments were received.
    There was one error in the regulatory text appearing in the 
proposed rule. In Sec. 929.105(b)(2), the proposed rule indicated that 
the certified report due from handlers on January 5 show the quantities 
of cranberries and cranberry products held by the handler on February 
1. The latter date should be January 1. This final rule corrects 
Sec. 929.105(b)(2) accordingly.
    Based on the above, the AMS has determined that this action will 
not have a significant economic impact on a substantial number of small 
entities. This rule modifies language in the cranberry marketing 
order's rules and regulations to change the first date by which 
handlers must file their acquisition reports from February 5 to January 
5 during each crop year. This rule will provide more useful production 
information to the cranberry industry at an earlier time.
    The information collection requirements contained in the referenced 
section have been previously approved by the Office of Management and 
Budget (OMB) under the provisions of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 
1995 (Pub. L. 104-13) and have been assigned OMB number 0581-0103.
    After consideration of all relevant matter presented, including the 
information and recommendations submitted by the Committee and other 
available information, it is hereby found that this rule, as 
hereinafter set forth, will tend to effectuate the declared policy of 
the Act.

List of Subjects in 7 CFR Part 929

    Marketing agreements, Cranberries, Reporting and recordkeeping 
requirements.

    For the reasons set forth in the preamble, 7 CFR part 929 is 
amended as follows:

PART 929--CRANBERRIES GROWN IN THE STATES OF MASSACHUSETTS, RHODE 
ISLAND, CONNECTICUT, NEW JERSEY, WISCONSIN, MICHIGAN, MINNESOTA, 
OREGON, WASHINGTON, AND LONG ISLAND IN THE STATE OF NEW YORK

    1. The authority citation for 7 CFR part 929 continues to read as 
follows:

    Authority: 7 U.S.C. 601-674.

    2. Section 929.105 is amended by revising paragraph (b) to read as 
follows:


Sec. 929.105  Reporting.

* * * * *
    (b) Certified reports shall be filed with the committee, on a form 
provided by the committee, by each handler not later than January 5, 
May 5, and August 5 of each fiscal period and by September 5 of the 
succeeding fiscal period showing:
    (1) The total quantity of cranberries the handler acquired and the 
total quantity of cranberries the handler handled from the beginning of 
the reporting period indicated through December 31, April 30, July 31, 
and August 31, respectively, and
    (2) The respective quantities of cranberries and cranberry products 
held by the handler on January 1, May 1, August 1, and August 31 of 
each fiscal period.

    Dated: June 10, 1996.
Robert C. Keeney,
Director, Fruit and Vegetable Division.
[FR Doc. 96-15093 Filed 6-14-96; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-02-P