[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 81 (Monday, April 28, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Pages 22355-22357]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-10391]


 ========================================================================
 Notices
                                                 Federal Register
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
 This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER contains documents other than rules 
 or proposed rules that are applicable to the public. Notices of hearings 
 and investigations, committee meetings, agency decisions and rulings, 
 delegations of authority, filing of petitions and applications and agency 
 statements of organization and functions are examples of documents 
 appearing in this section.
 
 ========================================================================
 

  Federal Register / Vol. 68, No. 81 / Monday, April 28, 2003 / 
Notices  

[[Page 22355]]



DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Commodity Credit Corporation


Domestic Sugar Program--Revisions of 2002-Crop Cane Sugar 
Marketing Allotments and Allocations

AGENCY: Commodity Credit Corporation, USDA.

ACTION: Notice.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: The Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) is issuing this notice 
to advise the public that CCC has reassigned the unused cane sugar 
allocations from processors in Hawaii and Puerto Rico to processors in 
Florida, Louisiana and Texas. State cane allotments were updated to be 
consistent with revised 2002-crop cane sugar production forecasts. 
Hurricanes in Louisiana last October caused distortions in mill 
production levels relative to processor allocations and unexpectedly 
prevented the marketing of sugar. To correct these distortions and 
resume marketing Louisiana cane sugar, CCC realigned mill allocations 
earlier than the May 1 regulatory deadline. CCC also distributed the 
Talisman allocation among the Florida processors according to the 
statutory requirement.
    The Hawaiian cane allotment was reduced 22,951 short tons, raw 
value (STRV); Puerto Rico's allotment was reduced 5,946 STRV. Florida 
gained 15,864 STRV, Louisiana gained 9,280 STRV and Texas gained 3,753 
STRV. In addition, the entire Talisman allocation of 58,713 STRV was 
reassigned to three Florida processors.

ADDRESSES: Barbara Fecso, Dairy and Sweeteners Analysis Group, Economic 
Policy and Analysis Staff, Farm Service Agency, USDA, 1400 Independence 
Avenue, SW., STOP 0516, Washington, DC 20250-0516; telephone (202) 720-
4146; FAX (202) 690-1480; e-mail: [email protected].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Barbara Fecso at (202) 720-4146.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Section 359e(a) of the Farm Security and 
Rural Investment Act of 2002 requires the Secretary to periodically 
determine whether (in view of current sugar inventories, estimated 
sugar production, expected marketings and other pertinent factors) any 
processor will be unable to market the sugar covered by the portion of 
the State cane sugar allotment allocated to the processor. Section 
359e(b)(1)(B) further directs the Secretary to reassign the estimated 
quantity of a State deficit proportionately to the allotments for other 
cane sugar States (depending on each State's capacity to market) when a 
State does not have the capacity to absorb its allocation among its own 
processors.
    In February 2003, the Department of Agriculture surveyed cane sugar 
processors asking for revisions to 2002-crop production and ending 
stock estimates for the purpose of calculating reassignments. The 
allotments/allocations were calculated in two steps:
    Step 1: Because 50 percent of cane sugar State allotments and 
processor allocations are based on the estimate of current crop 
production, updated production estimates from the February survey 
yielded new allotments/allocations (column C of the attached table).
    Step 2: Survey results revealed 28,897 STRV in unused allocations 
to Hawaiian and Puerto Rican processors. This amount was 
proportionately redistributed only to those cane processors in the 
Mainland States, who revealed in the same survey, a shortfall in 
allocation for the current crop year (column D of the attached table).
    Section 359d(b)(C) requires CCC to distribute the closed Talisman 
factory's allocation among Florida processors in accordance with the 
agreements of March 25 and 26, 1999, between the affected processors 
and the Secretary of the Interior. CCC distributed Talisman's 
allocation based on the distribution of Talisman's acreage between the 
affected processors in the 1999 agreements. The Talisman distribution 
was calculated after the above reassignments (column E of the attached 
table).
    USDA will continue to closely monitor market performance and 
critical program variables throughout the year to ensure meeting 
program objectives and maintaining market balance. Cane sugar 
allotment/allocation reassignments will be reevaluated periodically as 
production estimates improve.
    This notice is being issued in addition to the USDA press release 
entitled ``USDA Announces Revisions to 2002-Crop Cane Sugar Marketing 
Allotments and Allocations,'' which was issued on March 13, 2003, and 
is only intended to supplement and not supplant what was announced in 
that release. These actions apply to all domestic cane sugar marketed 
for human consumption in the United States from October 1, 2002, 
through September 30, 2003. The revised 2002-crop cane sugar marketing 
allotments and allocations (in short tons, raw value) are listed in the 
following table:

[[Page 22356]]



                                               Fiscal Year 2003 Sugar Marketing Allotments and Allocations
                                                                  [Revised March, 2003]
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                             C Change in allotment/       D  Change in
                                        B Jan 03 revised     allocation due ONLY to   allotment/allocation       E  Talisman          F New allotment/
                 A                    allotment/allocation        new processor           due ONLY to            distribution            allocation
                                                              production estimates       reassignments
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                                   (short tons, raw value)
                                    -------------------------
Overall Beet/Cane Allotments:
    Beet Sugar.....................  4,456,700.............  0.....................  0....................  0....................  4,456,700
    Cane Sugar (Includes P. Rico)..  3,743,300.............  0.....................  0....................  0....................  3,743,300
                                    -------------------------
        Total (Overall Allotment     8,200,000.............  0.....................  0....................  0....................  8,200,000
         Quantity).
------------------------------------
State Cane Sugar Allotments:
    Florida........................  1,929,516.............  -6,424................  22,288...............  0....................  1,945,380
    Louisiana......................  1,330,912.............  4,673.................  4,607................  0....................  1,340,192
    Texas..........................  157,872...............  1,750.................  2,002................  0....................  161,625
    Hawaii.........................  318,829...............  49....................  -23,000..............  0....................  295,878
    Puerto Rico....................  6,171.................  -49...................  -5,897...............  0....................  225
                                    -------------------------
        Total Cane Sugar...........  3,743,300.............  0.....................  0....................  0....................  3,743,300
------------------------------------
Florida:
    Atlantic Sugar Assoc...........  144,869...............  2,573.................  930..................  0....................  148,371
    Growers Co-op. of FL...........  350,846...............  -7,135................  701..................  3,564................  347,976
    Okeelanta Corp.................  389,302...............  -9,128................  7,602................  32,912...............  420,688
    Osceola Farms Co...............  227,315...............  -2,212................  4,472................  0....................  229,575
    Talisman Sugar Corp............  59,660................  -947..................  0....................  -58,713..............  0
    U.S. Sugar Corp................  757,524...............  10,425................  8,584................  22,237...............  798,769
                                    -------------------------
        Florida Total..............  1,929,516.............  -6,424................  22,288...............  0....................  1,945,380
------------------------------------
Louisiana:
    Alma Plantation................  77,818................  -6,006................  823..................  0....................  72,635
    Caire & Graugnard..............  5,597.................  495...................  0....................  0....................  6,091
    Cajun Sugar Co-op..............  97,645................  2,940.................  471..................  0....................  101,056
    Cora-Texas Mfg. Co.............  116,530...............  2,388.................  379..................  0....................  119,297
    Evan Hall Factory..............  2,797.................  121...................  -2,918...............  0....................  0
    Harry Laws & Co................  58,181................  -4,054................  921..................  0....................  55,048
    Iberia Sugar Co-op.............  62,798................  1,746.................  0....................  0....................  64,543
    Jeanerette Sugar Co............  63,305................  -1,283................  400..................  0....................  62,422
    Lafourche Sugars Corp..........  72,494................  -8,059................  5....................  0....................  64,441
    Louisiana Sugarcane Co-op......  82,781................  -1,858................  83...................  0....................  81,006
    Lula Westfield, LLC............  143,145...............  4,678.................  3....................  0....................  147,826
    M.A. Patout & Sons.............  173,937...............  5,992.................  3,361................  0....................  183,290
    Raceland Sugars................  78,082................  4,323.................  111..................  0....................  82,516
    St. Mary Sugar Co-op...........  92,875................  -4,531................  325..................  0....................  88,669
    So. Louisiana Sugars Co-op.....  115,098...............  3,268.................  0....................  0....................  118,366
    Sterling Sugars................  87,830................  4,512.................  644..................  0....................  92,986
                                    -------------------------
        Louisiana Total............  1,330,912.............  4,673.................  4,607................  0....................  1,340,192
------------------------------------
Texas: Rio Grande Valley...........  157,872...............  1,750.................  2,002................  0....................  161,625
Hawaii:
    Gay & Robinson, Inc............  62,163................  2,135.................  0....................  0....................  64,298
    Hawaiian Commercial & Sugar      256,666...............  -2,086................  -23,000..............  0....................  231,580
     Company.
                                    -------------------------
        Hawaii Total...............  318,829...............  49....................  -23,000..............  0....................  295,878
------------------------------------
Puerto Rico:
    Agraso.........................  3,984.................  -32...................  -3,727...............  0....................  225
    Roig...........................  2,187.................  -17...................  -2,170...............  0....................  0
                                    -------------------------
        Puerto Rico Total..........  6,171.................  -49...................  -5,897...............  0....................  225
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------



[[Page 22357]]

    Signed in Washington, DC on April 11, 2003.
James R. Little,
Executive Vice President, Commodity Credit Corporation.
[FR Doc. 03-10391 Filed 4-25-03; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-05-P