[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 92 (Tuesday, May 13, 1997)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 26257-26258]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-12501]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Agricultural Marketing Service

7 CFR Part 1138

[DA-97-07]


Milk in the New Mexico-West Texas Marketing Area; Notice of 
Proposed Suspension of Certain Provisions of the Order

AGENCY: Agricultural Marketing Service, USDA.

ACTION: Proposed suspension of rule.

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SUMMARY: This document invites written comments on a proposal that 
would continue the suspension of certain segments of the pool plant and 
producer milk definitions of the New Mexico-West Texas order for a two-
year period. Associated Milk Producers, Inc. (AMPI), a cooperative 
association that represents a substantial number of the producers who 
supply milk to the market, has requested continuation of the 
suspension. The cooperative asserts that continuation of the suspension 
is necessary to ensure that dairy farmers who have historically 
supplied the New Mexico-West Texas order will continue to have their 
milk priced under the order without incurring costly and inefficient 
movements of milk.

DATES: Comments are due no later than June 12, 1997.

ADDRESSES: Comments (two copies) should be filed with the USDA/AMS/
Dairy Division, Order Formulation Branch, Room 2971, South Building, 
P.O. Box 96456, Washington, DC 20090-6456.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Clifford M. Carman, Marketing 
Specialist, USDA/AMS/Dairy Division, Order Formulation Branch, Room 
2971, South Building, P.O. Box 96456, Washington, DC 20090-6456, 
(202)720-9368, e-mail address: Clifford __ M __ C[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Department is issuing this proposed rule 
in conformance with Executive Order 12866.
    This proposed rule has been reviewed under Executive Order 12988, 
Civil Justice Reform. This rule is not intended to have a retroactive 
effect. If adopted, this proposed rule will not preempt any state or 
local laws, regulations, or policies, unless they present an 
irreconcilable conflict with the rule.
    The Agricultural Marketing Agreement Act of 1937, as amended (7 
U.S.C. 601-674), 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 request 
modification or exemption from such order by filing 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. A handler is afforded the opportunity for a hearing on the 
petition. After a hearing, the Secretary would 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 its principal 
place of business, has jurisdiction in equity to review the Secretary's 
ruling on the petition, provided a bill in equity is filed not later 
than 20 days after the date of the entry of the ruling.

Small Business Consideration

    In accordance with the Regulatory Flexibility Act (5 U.S.C. 601 et 
seq.), the Agricultural Marketing Service has considered the economic 
impact of this action on small entities and has certified that this 
proposed rule will not have a significant economic impact on a 
substantial number of small entities. For the purpose of the Regulatory 
Flexibility Act, a dairy farm is considered a ``small business'' if it 
has an annual gross revenue of less than $500,000, and a dairy products 
manufacturer is a ``small business'' if it has fewer than 500 
employees. For the purposes of determining which dairy farms are 
``small businesses,'' the $500,000 per year criterion was used to 
establish a production guideline of 326,000 pounds per month. Although 
this guideline does not factor in additional monies that may be 
received by dairy producers, it should be an inclusive standard for 
most ``small `` dairy farmers. For purposes of determining a handler's 
size, if the plant is part of a larger company operating multiple 
plants that collectively exceed the 500-employee limit, the plant will 
be considered a large business even if the local plant has fewer than 
500 employees.
    For the month of March 1997, the milk of 174 producers was pooled 
on the New Mexico-West Texas Federal milk order. Of these producers, 26 
producers were below the 326,000-pound production guideline and are 
considered small businesses. During this same period, there were 19 
handlers operating pool plants under the New Mexico-West Texas order. 
Twelve of these handlers would be considered small businesses.
    The proposed suspension would continue the current suspension of 
segments of the pool plant and producer milk definitions under the New 
Mexico-West Texas order. The provisions proposed for continued 
suspension limit the pooling of diverted milk. This rule would lessen 
the regulatory impact of the order on certain milk handlers and would 
tend to ensure that dairy farmers would continue to have their milk 
priced under the order and thereby receive the benefits that accrue 
from such pricing.
    Interested parties are invited to submit comments on the probable 
regulatory and informational impact of this proposed rule on small 
entities. Also, parties may suggest modifications of this proposal for 
the purpose of tailoring their applicability to small businesses.

Proposed Rule

    Notice is hereby given that, pursuant to the provisions of the 
Agricultural Marketing Agreement Act, the suspension of the following 
provisions of the order regulating the handling of milk in the New 
Mexico-West Texas marketing area is being considered for the months of 
October 1, 1997, through September 30, 1999:
    1. In Sec. 1138.7, paragraph (a)(1), the words ``including producer 
milk diverted from the plant,'';
    2. In Sec. 1138.7, paragraph (c), the words ``35 percent or more of 
the producer''; and
    3. In Sec. 1138.13(d), paragraphs (1), (2), and (5).
    All persons who want to submit written data, views or arguments 
about the proposed suspension should send two copies of their views to 
the USDA/AMS/Dairy Division, Order Formulation Branch, Room 2971, South 
Building, P.O. Box 96456, Washington, DC 20090-

[[Page 26258]]

6456, by the 30th day after publication of this notice in the Federal 
Register.
    All written submissions made pursuant to this notice will be made 
available for public inspection in the Dairy Division during regular 
business hours (7 CFR 1.27(b)).

Statement of Consideration

    The proposed suspension would continue the current suspension of 
segments of the pool plant and producer milk definitions under the New 
Mexico-West Texas order. The provisions that are suspended limit the 
pooling of diverted milk. The proposed suspension would be in effect 
from October 1997 through September 1999. The current suspension will 
expire September 30, 1997.
    The proposed suspension would continue the suspension of the 
following:
    1. The requirement that milk diverted to a nonpool plant be 
considered a receipt at the distributing plant from which it was 
diverted;
    2. The requirement that a cooperative must deliver at least 35 
percent of its milk to pool distributing plants in order to pool a 
plant that the cooperative operates which is located in the marketing 
area and is neither a distributing plant nor a supply plant;
    3. The requirement that a producer must deliver one day's 
production to a pool plant during the months of September through 
January to be eligible to be diverted to a nonpool plant;
    4. The provision that limits a cooperative's diversions to nonpool 
plants to an amount equal to the milk it caused to be delivered to, and 
physically received at, pool plants during the month; and
    5. The provision that excludes from the pool milk diverted from a 
pool plant to the extent that it would cause the plant to lose its 
status as a pool plant.
    The continuation of the current suspension was requested by 
Associated Milk Producers, Inc., a cooperative association that 
represents a substantial number of dairy farmers who supply the New 
Mexico-West Texas market. The cooperative stated that marketing 
conditions have not changed since the provisions were suspended in 
1993, and therefore should be continued until restructuring of the 
Federal order program is achieved as mandated in the 1996 Farm Bill.
    The cooperative states that the continuation of the current 
suspension is necessary to ensure that dairy farmers who have 
historically supplied the New Mexico-West Texas market will continue to 
have their milk priced under this order. In addition, they maintain 
that the suspension would continue to provide handlers the flexibility 
needed to move milk supplies in the most efficient manner and to 
eliminate costly and inefficient movements of milk that would be made 
solely for the purpose of pooling the milk of dairy farmers who have 
historically supplied the market.
    Accordingly, it may be appropriate to suspend the aforesaid 
provisions from October 1, 1997, through September 30, 1999.

List of Subjects in 7 CFR Part 1138

    Milk marketing orders.

    The authority citation for 7 CFR Part 1138 continues to read as 
follows:

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

    Dated: May 7, 1997.
Richard M. McKee,
Director, Dairy Division.
[FR Doc. 97-12501 Filed 5-12-97; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-02-P