[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 225 (Friday, November 21, 2003)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 65643-65645]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-29060]


 ========================================================================
 Proposed Rules
                                                 Federal Register
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 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. 68, No. 225 / Friday, November 21, 2003 / 
Proposed Rules  

[[Page 65643]]



DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Agricultural Marketing Service

7 CFR Part 959

[Docket No. FV03-959-4 PR]


Onions Grown in South Texas; Decreased Assessment Rate

AGENCY: Agricultural Marketing Service, USDA.

ACTION: Proposed rule.

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SUMMARY: This rule would decrease the assessment rate established for 
the South Texas Onion Committee (Committee) for the 2003-04 and 
subsequent fiscal periods from $0.085 to $0.03 per 50-pound equivalent 
of onions handled. The Committee locally administers the marketing 
order which regulates the handling of onions grown in South Texas. 
Authorization to assess onion handlers enables the Committee to incur 
expenses that are reasonable and necessary to administer the program. 
The fiscal period began August 1 and ends July 31. The assessment rate 
would remain in effect indefinitely unless modified, suspended, or 
terminated.

DATES: Comments must be received by December 22, 2003.

ADDRESSES: Interested persons are invited to submit written comments 
concerning this rule. Comments must be sent to the Docket Clerk, 
Marketing Order Administration Branch, Fruit and Vegetable Programs, 
AMS, USDA, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW., STOP 0237, Washington, DC 
20250-0237; Fax: (202) 720-8938, or E-mail: [email protected]. 
Comments should reference the docket number and the date and page 
number of this issue of the Federal Register and will be available for 
public inspection in the Office of the Docket Clerk during regular 
business hours, or can be viewed at: http://www.ams.usda.gov/fv/moab.html.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Belinda G. Garza, Regional Manager, 
McAllen Marketing Field Office, Fruit and Vegetable Programs, AMS, 
USDA, 1313 E. Hackberry, McAllen, Texas 78501; telephone: (956) 682-
2833, Fax: (956) 682-5942; or George Kelhart, Technical Advisor, 
Marketing Order Administration Branch, Fruit and Vegetable Programs, 
AMS, USDA, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW., STOP 0237, Washington, DC 
20250-0237; telephone: (202) 720-2491, Fax: (202) 720-8938.
    Small businesses may request information on complying with this 
regulation by contacting Jay Guerber, Marketing Order Administration 
Branch, Fruit and Vegetable Programs, AMS, USDA, 1400 Independence 
Avenue, SW., STOP 0237, Washington, DC 20250-0237; telephone: (202) 
720-2491, Fax: (202) 720-8938, or E-mail: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This rule is issued under Marketing 
Agreement No. 143 and Order No. 959, both as amended (7 CFR part 959), 
regulating the handling of onions grown in South Texas, 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 (USDA) is issuing this rule in 
conformance with Executive Order 12866.
    This rule has been reviewed under Executive Order 12988, Civil 
Justice Reform. Under the marketing order now in effect, South Texas 
onion handlers are subject to assessments. Funds to administer the 
order are derived from such assessments. It is intended that the 
assessment rate as proposed herein would be applicable to all 
assessable onions beginning on August 1, 2003, and continue until 
amended, suspended, or terminated. This 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 USDA 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. Such 
handler is afforded the opportunity for a hearing on the petition. 
After the hearing USDA 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 his or her principal place of 
business, has jurisdiction to review USDA's ruling on the petition, 
provided an action is filed not later than 20 days after the date of 
the entry of the ruling.
    This rule would decrease the assessment rate established for the 
Committee for the 2003-04 and subsequent fiscal periods from $0.085 to 
$0.03 per 50-pound equivalent of onions.
    The South Texas onion marketing order provides authority for the 
Committee, with the approval of USDA, to formulate an annual budget of 
expenses and collect assessments from handlers to administer the 
program. The members of the Committee are producers and handlers of 
South Texas onions. They are familiar with the Committee's needs and 
with the costs for goods and services in their local area and are thus 
in a position to formulate an appropriate budget and assessment rate. 
The assessment rate is formulated and discussed in a public meeting. 
Thus, all directly affected persons have an opportunity to participate 
and provide input.
    For the 2002-03 and subsequent fiscal periods, the Committee 
recommended, and USDA approved, an assessment rate that would continue 
in effect from fiscal period to fiscal period unless modified, 
suspended, or terminated by USDA upon recommendation and information 
submitted by the Committee or other information available to USDA.
    The Committee met on June 5, 2003, and unanimously recommended 
2003-04 expenditures of $124,661 and an assessment rate of $0.03 per 
50-pound equivalent of onions. In comparison, last year's budgeted 
expenditures were $325,400. The assessment rate of $0.03 is $0.055 
lower than the rate currently in effect. The decrease in the assessment 
rate and budget is primarily due to the discontinuation of funding for 
production research projects and a lower marketing and promotion 
budget. The reduced assessment rate and budget would lower handler 
costs by about $220,000 and would keep the

[[Page 65644]]

Committee's operating reserve at an acceptable level.
    The major expenditures recommended by the Committee for the 2003-04 
fiscal period include $74,661 for personnel and office expenses, 
$30,000 for compliance, and $20,000 for promotion expenses. Budgeted 
expenses for these items in 2002-03 were $72,002, $35,000, and 
$170,500, respectively.
    The assessment rate recommended by the Committee was derived by 
dividing anticipated expenses by expected shipments of South Texas 
onions. Onion shipments for the fiscal period are estimated at 4 
million 50-pound equivalents, which should provide $120,000 in 
assessment income. Income derived from handler assessments, along with 
interest income and funds from the Committee's authorized reserve, 
would be adequate to cover budgeted expenses. Funds in the reserve 
(currently $256,982) would be kept within the maximum permitted by the 
order (approximately two fiscal periods' expenses, Sec.  959.43).
    The proposed assessment rate would continue in effect indefinitely 
unless modified, suspended, or terminated by USDA upon recommendation 
and information submitted by the Committee or other available 
information.
    Although this assessment rate would be in effect for an indefinite 
period, the Committee would continue to meet prior to or during each 
fiscal period to recommend a budget of expenses and consider 
recommendations for modification of the assessment rate. The dates and 
times of Committee meetings are available from the Committee or USDA. 
Committee meetings are open to the public and interested persons may 
express their views at these meetings. USDA would evaluate Committee 
recommendations and other available information to determine whether 
modification of the assessment rate is needed. Further rulemaking would 
be undertaken as necessary. The Committee's 2003-04 budget and those 
for subsequent fiscal periods would be reviewed and, as appropriate, 
approved by USDA.

Initial Regulatory Flexibility Analysis

    Pursuant to requirements set forth in the Regulatory Flexibility 
Act (RFA), the Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) has considered the 
economic impact of this rule on small entities. Accordingly, AMS has 
prepared this initial regulatory flexibility analysis.
    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 the 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 78 producers of onions in the production 
area and approximately 37 handlers subject to regulation under the 
marketing order. Small agricultural producers are defined by the Small 
Business Administration (SBA) (13 CFR 121.201) as those having annual 
receipts less than $750,000, and small agricultural service firms are 
defined as those whose annual receipts are less than $5,000,000.
    Most of the handlers are vertically integrated corporations 
involved in producing, shipping, and marketing onions. For the 2002-03 
marketing year, the industry's 37 handlers shipped onions produced on 
12,740 acres with the average and median volume handled being 114,454 
and 91,792 fifty-pound equivalents, respectively. In terms of 
production value, total revenues for the 37 handlers were estimated to 
be $73 million, with average and median revenues being $1.97 million 
and $1.58 million, respectively.
    The South Texas onion industry is characterized by producers and 
handlers whose farming operations generally involve more than one 
commodity, and whose income from farming operations is not exclusively 
dependent on the production of onions. Alternative crops provide an 
opportunity to utilize many of the same facilities and equipment not in 
use when the onion production season is complete. For this reason, 
typical onion producers and handlers either produce multiple crops or 
alternate crops within a single year.
    Based on the SBA's definition of small entities, the Committee 
estimates that 36 of the 37 handlers regulated by the order would be 
considered small entities if only their spring onion revenues are 
considered. However, revenues from other productive enterprises would 
likely push a large number of these handlers above the $5,000,000 
annual receipt threshold. All of the 78 producers may be classified as 
small entities based on the SBA definition if only their revenue from 
spring onions is considered. When revenues from all sources are 
considered, a majority of the producers would not be considered small 
entities because receipts would exceed $750,000.
    This rule would decrease the assessment rate established for the 
Committee and collected from handlers for the 2003-04 and subsequent 
fiscal periods from $0.085 to $0.03 per 50-pound equivalent of onions. 
The Committee unanimously recommended 2003-04 expenditures of $124,661 
and an assessment rate of $0.03 per 50-pound equivalent. The proposed 
assessment rate of $0.03 is $0.055 lower than the current rate. The 
quantity of assessable onions for the 2003-04 fiscal period is 
estimated at 4 million 50-pound equivalents. Thus, the $0.03 rate 
should provide $120,000 in assessment income. Income derived from 
handler assessments, along with interest income and funds from the 
Committee's authorized reserve, would be more than adequate to cover 
budgeted expenses.
    The major expenditures recommended by the Committee for the 2003-04 
fiscal period include $74,661 for personnel and office expenses, 
$30,000 for compliance, and $20,000 for promotion expenses. Budgeted 
expenses for these items in 2002-03 were $72,002, $35,000, and 
$170,500, respectively. In addition, the Committee budgeted $47,900 for 
production research in 2002-03.
    The Committee reviewed and unanimously recommended 2003-04 
expenditures of $124,661, which included increases in administrative 
expenses and decreases in the compliance and promotion expenses. The 
Committee did not approve any production research program expenses for 
2003-04. Prior to arriving at this budget, the Committee considered 
information from various sources, including the Research and Market 
Development Subcommittee. Numerous alternative expenditure levels were 
discussed based upon the relative value of various promotion projects 
to the onion industry. The assessment rate of $0.03 per 50-pound 
equivalent of assessable onions was then determined by dividing the 
total recommended budget by the quantity of assessable onions, 
estimated at 4 million 50-pound equivalents for the 2003-04 fiscal 
period.
    A review of historical information and preliminary information 
pertaining to the upcoming fiscal period indicates that the grower 
price for the 2003-04 fiscal period could range between $9.05 and 
$19.05 per 50-pound equivalent of onions. Therefore, the estimated 
assessment revenue for the 2003-04 fiscal period as a percentage of 
total grower revenue could range between .16 and .33 percent.
    This action would decrease the assessment obligation imposed on

[[Page 65645]]

handlers. Assessments are applied uniformly on all handlers, and some 
of the costs may be passed on to producers. However, decreasing the 
assessment rate would reduce the burden on handlers, and may reduce the 
burden on producers. In addition, the Committee's meeting was widely 
publicized throughout the South Texas onion industry and all interested 
persons were invited to attend the meeting and participate in Committee 
deliberations on all issues. Like all Committee meetings, the June 5, 
2003, meeting was a public meeting and all entities, both large and 
small, were able to express views on this issue. Finally, interested 
persons are invited to submit information on the regulatory and 
informational impacts of this action on small businesses.
    This proposed rule would impose no additional reporting or 
recordkeeping requirements on either small or large South Texas onion 
handlers. As with all Federal marketing order programs, reports, and 
forms are periodically reviewed to reduce information requirements and 
duplication by industry and public sector agencies.
    USDA has not identified any relevant Federal rules that duplicate, 
overlap, or conflict with this rule.
    A small business guide on complying with fruit, vegetable, and 
specialty crop marketing agreements and orders may be viewed at: http://www.ams.usda.gov/fv/moab.html. Any questions about the compliance 
guide should be sent to Jay Guerber at the previously mentioned address 
in the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT section.
    A 30-day comment period is provided to allow interested persons to 
respond to this proposed rule. Thirty days is deemed appropriate 
because: (1) The 2003-04 fiscal period began on August 1, 2003, and the 
marketing order requires that the rate of assessment for each fiscal 
period apply to all assessable onions handled during such fiscal 
period; (2) the proposed rule would decrease the assessment rate for 
assessable onions beginning with the 2003-04 fiscal period; (3) 
shipments during the 2003-04 fiscal period are expected to start in 
March 2004, and any change, if any, made to the assessment rate 
resulting from the proposed rule should be effective by that time; and 
(4) handlers are aware of this action which was unanimously recommended 
by the Committee at a public meeting and is similar to other assessment 
rate actions issued in past years.

List of Subjects in 7 CFR Part 959

    Marketing agreements, Onions, Reporting and recordkeeping 
requirements.

    For the reasons set forth in the preamble, 7 CFR part 959 is 
proposed to be amended as follows:

PART 959--ONIONS GROWN IN SOUTH TEXAS

    1. The authority citation for 7 CFR part 959 continues to read as 
follows:

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

    2. Section 959.237 is revised to read as follows:


Sec.  959.237  Assessment rate.

    On and after August 1, 2003, an assessment rate of $0.03 per 50-
pound equivalent is established for South Texas onions.

    Dated: November 14, 2003.
A.J. Yates,
Administrator, Agricultural Marketing Service.
[FR Doc. 03-29060 Filed 11-20-03; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-02-P