[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 245 (Wednesday, December 22, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Pages 76684-76686]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 04-27966]


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

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Commodity Credit Corporation


Domestic Sugar Program--2005-Crop Sugar Marketing Allotments and 
Company Allocations

AGENCY: Commodity Credit Corporation, USDA.

ACTION: Notice.

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

[[Page 76685]]

SUMMARY: The Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) is issuing this notice 
which sets forth the establishment of the sugar overall allotment 
quantity for the 2004 crop year (FY 2005) which runs from October 1, 
2004 through September 30, 2005. Although CCC already has announced all 
of the information in this notice, CCC is statutorily required to 
publish in the Federal Register determinations establishing sugar 
marketing allotments. CCC set the 2004-crop overall allotment quantity 
(OAQ) of domestic sugar to 8.100 million short tons raw value (STRV) on 
July 16, 2004; 4.402 million STRV to the beet sector, and 3.698 million 
STRV to the cane sector. On July 22, 2004, CCC announced the 2004 crop 
year, proportionate-share percentage of 83.4 percent for Louisiana. On 
September 28, 2004, CCC announced the allotments to sugarcane-producing 
States and allocations to sugarcane and sugar beet processors. At that 
time, because Puerto Rico had ceased production of sugar for more than 
two years, CCC also eliminated the allotment to Puerto Rico and 
allocations to Puerto Rico's two sugarcane 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 359b(b)(1) of the Agricultural 
Adjustment Act of 1938, as amended, (7 U.S.C. 1359bb(a)(1)), requires 
the Secretary to establish, by the beginning of each crop year, an 
appropriate allotment for the marketing by processors of sugar 
processed from sugar beets and from domestically produced cane sugar at 
a level the Secretary estimates will result in no forfeitures of sugar 
to the CCC under the loan program. When CCC announced an 8.100 million 
ton OAQ in July 2004, it noted the existence of sugar market 
uncertainties and that the OAQ would be adjusted if warranted.
    To establish cane state allotments, weights of 25 percent, 25 
percent and 50 percent, respectively, are assigned to the three-factor 
criteria: past marketings; processing capacity; and ability to market. 
This notice reflects the recent change in the ``ability to market'' 
definition, which is now based on historical data. See 69 FR 55061-
55063. Beginning with FY 2005, the cane processor allocations are fixed 
shares of the cane sugar allotment and will change only if the 
Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) adjusts the OAQ or determines that a 
processor cannot fulfill its cane sugar allocation and reassigns the 
unused allocation to other processors.
    CCC is required to limit the amount of sugarcane acreage that may 
be harvested in Louisiana for sugar or seed whenever marketing 
allotments are in effect and the quantity of sugarcane estimated to be 
produced in Louisiana, plus a reasonable carryover, exceeds the 
marketing allotment allocation for Louisiana. This limitation is 
referred to as a ``proportionate share,'' and is applied to each farm's 
sugarcane acreage base to determine the quantity of sugarcane that may 
be harvested on that farm. Because production will be excessive in 
Louisiana, CCC has determined that the proportionate share of a 
sugarcane acreage base that may be harvested in Louisiana for sugar or 
seed for the 2004 crop year will be 83.4 percent of each farm's 
sugarcane acreage base.
    CCC has determined that Puerto Rico's processors permanently 
terminated operations because no sugar had been processed for two 
complete years. Consequently, the allocation of 6,356 STRV was 
permanently reassigned to the mainland sugarcane-producing states. 
Hawaii received none of Puerto Rico's reassignment because it is not 
expected to use all of its current cane sugar allotment. A request for 
an allocation as a new entrant would be required for any mills in 
Puerto Rico to market cane sugar in the future.
    These actions apply to all domestic sugar marketed for human 
consumption in the United States from October l, 2004, through 
September 30, 2005. The established 2004-crop beet and cane sugar 
marketing allotments are listed in the following table:

                              FY 2005 Overall Beet/Cane Allotments and Allocations
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                                   Reassignment    Beginning FY
                                                                    Initial FY       of Puerto         2005
                                                                       2005            Rican        allotments/
                                                                    allocations      allotment      allocations
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  Beet Sugar....................................................       4,402,350  ..............  ..............
  Cane Sugar....................................................       3,697,650  ..............  ..............
    TOTAL OAQ...................................................       8,100,000  ..............  ..............
BEET PROCESSORS' MARKETING ALLOCATIONS:
    Amalgamated Sugar Co........................................         917,207  ..............  ..............
    American Crystal Sugar Co...................................       1,692,713  ..............  ..............
    Holly Sugar Corp............................................         295,372  ..............  ..............
    Michigan Sugar Co...........................................         281,254  ..............  ..............
    Minn-Dak Farmers Co-op......................................         274,650  ..............  ..............
    Monitor Sugar Co............................................         161,164  ..............  ..............
    So. Minn Beet Sugar Co-op...................................         282,812  ..............  ..............
    Western Sugar Co............................................         438,449  ..............  ..............
    Wyoming Sugar Co............................................          58,729  ..............  ..............
        TOTAL BEET SUGAR........................................       4,402,350  ..............  ..............
STATE CANE SUGAR ALLOTMENTS:
    Florida.....................................................       1,812,722           3,416       1,816,139
    Louisiana...................................................       1,402,345           2,643       1,404,987
    Texas.......................................................         157,583             297         157,880
    Hawaii......................................................         318,644               0         318,644
    Puerto Rico.................................................           6,356          -6,356               0
        TOTAL CANE SUGAR........................................       3,697,650               0       3,697,650
SUGARCANE PROCESSORS' MARKETING ALLOCATIONS:
    Florida:....................................................
        Atlantic Sugar Assoc....................................         152,198             287         152,485

[[Page 76686]]

 
        Growers Co-op. of FL....................................         326,082             615         326,697
        Okeelanta Corp..........................................         383,847             723         384,570
        Osceola Farms Co........................................         210,300             396         210,697
        U.S. Sugar Corp.........................................         740,295           1,395         741,690
            TOTAL...............................................       1,812,722           3,416       1,816,139
    Louisiana:..................................................
        Alma Plantation.........................................          76,478             144          76,622
        Cajun Sugar Co-op.......................................         106,225             200         106,426
        Cora-Texas Mfg. Co......................................         130,258             245         130,504
        Harry Laws & Co.........................................          57,006             107          57,113
        Iberia Sugar Co-op......................................          67,712             128          67,839
        Jeanerette Sugar Co.....................................          64,078             121          64,199
        Lafourche Sugars Corp...................................          76,381             144          76,525
        Louisiana Sugarcane Co-op...............................          87,247             164          87,411
        Lula Westfield, LLC.....................................         165,601             312         165,913
        M.A. Patout & Sons......................................         368,356             694         369,051
        St. Mary Sugar Co-op....................................          92,814             175          92,989
        So. Louisiana Sugars Co-op..............................         110,189             208         110,396
            TOTAL...............................................       1,402,345           2,643       1,404,987
    Texas:......................................................
        Rio Grande Valley.......................................         157,583             297         157,880
    Hawaii:.....................................................
        Gay & Robinson, Inc.....................................          73,145               0          73,145
        Hawaiian Commercial & Sugar Company.....................         245,499               0         245,499
            TOTAL...............................................         318,644               0         318,644
    Puerto Rico:................................................
        Agraso..................................................           4,076          -4,076               0
        Roig....................................................           2,280          -2,280               0
            TOTAL...............................................           6,356          -6,356               0
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


    Signed in Washington, DC on December 3, 2004.
James R. Little,
Executive Vice President, Commodity Credit Corporation.
[FR Doc. 04-27966 Filed 12-21-04; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-05-P