[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 45 (Tuesday, March 10, 2009)]
[Notices]
[Page 10220]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-4983]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Office of the Secretary


Notice of the Specialty Crop Committee's Stakeholder Listening 
Session

AGENCY: Research, Education, and Economics, USDA.

ACTION: Notice of stakeholder listening session.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with the Federal Advisory Committee Act, 5 
U.S.C. App 2, the United States Department of Agriculture announces a 
stakeholder listening session of the Specialty Crop Committee, under 
the auspices of the National Agricultural Research, Extension, 
Education, and Economics Advisory Board.

DATES: The Specialty Crop Committee will hold the stakeholder listening 
session on March 13, 2009 from 9 a.m.-3 p.m.

ADDRESSES: The stakeholder listening session of the Specialty Crop 
Committee will take place at the headquarters of the Florida Fruit and 
Vegetable Growers Association, 800 Trafalgar Court, Suite 200, 
Maitland, FL 32751.
    The public may file written comments before or up to two weeks 
after the listening session with the contact person identified in this 
notice at: The National Agricultural Research, Extension, Education, 
and Economics Advisory Board Office, U.S. Department of Agriculture, 
Room 344-A, Jamie L. Whitten Building, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW., 
Washington, DC 20250-2255.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Bruce Mertz, Acting Executive 
Director, National Agricultural Research, Extension, Education, and 
Economics Advisory Board; telephone: (202) 720-3684; fax: (202) 720-
6199; or e-mail: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Specialty Crop Committee was established 
in accordance with the Specialty Crops Competitiveness Act of 2004 
under Title III, Section 303 of Public Law 108-465, as amended under 
the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008, under Title VII, 
Section 7103 of Public Law 110-246. This Committee is a permanent 
committee of the National Agricultural Research Extension, Education, 
and Economics Advisory Board (the Board). The Committee's charge is to 
study the scope and effectiveness of research, extension, and economics 
programs affecting the specialty crop industry. The congressional 
legislation defines ``specialty crops'' as fruits, vegetables, tree 
nuts, dried fruits and nursery crops (including floriculture). In order 
to carry out its responsibilities effectively, the Committee is holding 
a stakeholder listening session. The listening session will elicit 
stakeholder input from industry and state representatives, national 
organizations and institutions, local producers, and other groups about 
topics of relevance to research, extension or economics programs on 
which the Specialty Crop Committee is charged to report through the 
Board to the Secretary of Agriculture and Congress. Several panel 
sessions will be organized to stimulate discussion, each relating to 
one or more specific issues delineated in the Committee's charge. Each 
panel will be followed with questions by Committee members and 
opportunity for brief presentations and general discussion from the 
floor. Also, written comments by attendees and other interested 
stakeholders will be welcomed as additional public input before and up 
to two weeks following the listening sessions. All statements will 
become part of the official public record of the Board's Specialty Crop 
Committee.

    Done at Washington, DC this 12th day of February 2009.
Katherine Smith,
Acting Deputy Under Secretary, Research, Education, and Economics.
 [FR Doc. E9-4983 Filed 3-9-09; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-03-P