[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 247 (Thursday, December 24, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 80312-80315]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-32456]


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 Notices
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  Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 247 / Thursday, December 24, 2015 / 
Notices  

[[Page 80312]]



DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Commodity Credit Corporation


Domestic Sugar Program: Overall Allotment Quantity and Marketing 
Allotments

AGENCY: Commodity Credit Corporation and Farm Service Agency, USDA.

ACTION: Notice.

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

SUMMARY: The Farm Service Agency (FSA) on behalf of the Commodity 
Credit Corporation (CCC) is issuing this notice to publish the sugar 
Overall Allotment Quantity (OAQ), beet and cane sugar marketing 
allotments, and processor allocations for fiscal year (FY) 2016 
(October 1, 2015-September 30, 2016), as well as a summary of the 
OAQ's, sugar marketing allotments, and allocations for FY 2015 and FY 
2014. Although the actions in this notice have already been announced 
through United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) news releases, 
each determination establishing, adjusting, or suspending sugar 
marketing allotments issued by the Secretary is required by the 
Agricultural Adjustment Act of 1938, as amended, to be published in the 
Federal Register.

DATES: Effective: December 24, 2015.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Barb Fecso, telephone: (202) 720-4146. 
Persons with disabilities who require alternative means for 
communication should contact the USDA Target Center at (202) 720-2600 
(voice).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Initial FY 2016 OAQ, State Allotments, and Processor Allocations

    Section 359c of the Agricultural Adjustment Act of 1938 (Pub. L. 
75-430), as amended, (7 U.S.C. 1359cc) requires that the OAQ be 
established at not less than 85 percent of the estimated quantity of 
sugar for domestic human consumption for the crop year, and that fixed 
percentages of the OAQ be assigned to the beet sector and cane sector, 
and further allocated to the States in the cane sector. In a September 
29, 2015 news release, CCC established the FY 2016 (2015-crop year) OAQ 
at the minimum quantity of 10,093,750 short tons, raw value (STRV). CCC 
distributed the FY 2016 beet sugar allotment of 5,485,953 STRV (54.35 
percent of the OAQ) to the beet sugar processors and the cane sugar 
allotment of 4,607,797 STRV (45.65 percent of the OAQ) to the sugarcane 
states and processors.
    The FY 2016 (2015-crop year) beet sugar and cane sugar marketing 
allotments and allocations to date are listed in the following table:

          FY 2016 Overall Beet/Cane Allotments and Allocations
------------------------------------------------------------------------
                  Distribution                         Initial FY16
------------------------------------------------       allocations
                                                ------------------------
              Date of Announcement                  September 29, 2016
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Beet Sugar.....................................                5,485,953
Cane Sugar.....................................                4,607,797
                                                ------------------------
    TOTAL OAQ..................................               10,093,750
 
BEET PROCESSORS' MARKETING ALLOCATIONS:
    Amalgamated Sugar Co.......................                1,174,584
    American Crystal Sugar Co..................                2,017,406
    Michigan Sugar Co..........................                  566,565
    Minn-Dak Farmers Co-op.....................                  380,994
    So. Minn Beet Sugar Co-op..................                  740,429
    Western Sugar Co...........................                  560,041
    Wyoming Sugar Growers, LLC.................                   45,935
                                                ------------------------
        TOTAL BEET SUGAR.......................                5,485,953
 
STATE CANE SUGAR ALLOTMENTS:
    Florida....................................                2,344,636
    Louisiana..................................                1,813,839
    Texas......................................                  203,823
    Hawaii.....................................                  245,499
                                                ------------------------
        TOTAL CANE SUGAR.......................                4,607,797
 
CANE PROCESSORS' MARKETING ALLOCATIONS:
Florida:
    Florida Crystals...........................                  965,348
    Growers Co-op of FL........................                  421,765
    U.S. Sugar Corp............................                  957,522
                                                ------------------------
        TOTAL..................................                2,344,636
 
Louisiana:
    Louisiana Sugar Cane Products, Inc.........                1,259,225

[[Page 80313]]

 
    M.A. Patout & Sons.........................                  554,615
                                                ------------------------
        TOTAL..................................                1,813,839
 
Texas:
    Rio Grande Valley..........................                  203,823
    Hawaii:....................................
    Hawaiian Commercial & Sugar Company........                  245,499
------------------------------------------------------------------------

FY 2015 OAQ, State Allotments, and Processor Allocations

    On September 26, 2014, CCC announced the initial FY 2015 OAQ of 
9,987,500 STRV, the distribution of the FY 2015 beet sugar allotment of 
5,428,206 STRV (54.35 percent of the OAQ) to sugar beet processors, and 
the distribution of the 4,559,294 STRV cane sugar allotment (45.65 
percent of the OAQ) to sugarcane states and processors.
    In mid-year, CCC reviewed current inventories, estimated 
production, expected marketings, and other factors affecting each sugar 
beet or sugarcane processor's ability to market its full allocation. On 
May 4, 2015 CCC announced an increase in the FY 2015 OAQ to 10,080,150 
STRV, which was 85 percent of the estimate for domestic human 
consumption published in the April 2015 World Agricultural Supply and 
Demand Estimates Report (WASDE). CCC also announced the reassignment of 
projected surplus beet sugar and cane sugar marketing allotments and 
allocations under the FY 2015 Sugar Marketing Allotment Program. The 
reassignment, which transferred allocations from processors with 
surplus allocation to processors with deficit allocation, was expected 
to increase the available supply of domestically-produced refined beet 
sugar.
    As part of the domestic Sugar Program, CCC is required to reassign 
allocation to raw cane sugar imports if it is determined that 
processors will be unable to market their allocations and there is no 
CCC inventory. Data supplied by the processors in April 2015 indicated 
that the beet sugar sector would be unable to market 400,000 STRV of 
its current sugar marketing allotment, while the raw cane sugar sector 
would be unable to market 600,000 STRV of its sugar marketing 
allotment. Therefore, the allotments were reduced to 5,078,562 STRV for 
beet sugar and 4,001,588 STRV for cane sugar, while 1,000,000 STRV was 
reassigned to raw cane sugar imports already displayed in the WASDE 
report. This reassignment to imports was merely an accounting effort to 
comply with Sugar Program requirements as specified in 7 U.S.C. 1359ee 
and was not an increase in the raw sugar tariff-rate quota.
    On August 28, 2015, CCC announced a second reassignment of 
projected FY 2015 surplus beet sugar marketing allocation among beet 
processors and a reassignment of projected surplus cane sugar marketing 
allocation among cane processors. CCC transferred beet sugar marketing 
allocations from beet sugar processors with surplus allocation to 
another beet processor requiring more allocation to market its record 
high crop. Similarly, CCC transferred cane sugar marketing allocation 
from two sugar processors in Florida with surplus allocation to another 
processor requiring more allocation to market its larger-than-expected 
crop.
    The FY 2015 (2014-crop) beet sugar and cane sugar marketing 
allotments and allocations are listed in the following table:

                                                  FY 2015 OVERALL BEET/CANE ALLOTMENTS AND ALLOCATIONS
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                  Change in
                                  Initial FY15   OAQ due to    Reassignment    Reassignment     Adjusted     Reassignment    Reassignment     Adjusted
          Distribution             allocations    change in        among        to imports     allocations   within states       among       allocations
                                                  food use      processors                                                    processors
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date of Announcement                 September
                                      26, 2014                          May 4, 2015
                                               August 28, 2015;
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Beet Sugar......................     5,428,206        50,355               0       (400,000)     5,078,562              --              --     5,078,562
Cane Sugar......................     4,559,294        42,295               0       (600,000)     4,001,588              --              --     4,001,588
Reassignment to Raw Cane Sugar               0             0               0       1,000,000     1,000,000              --              --     1,000,000
 Imports........................
                                 -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    TOTAL OAQ...................     9,987,500        92,650               0               0    10,080,150              --              --    10,080,150
BEET PROCESSORS' MARKETING
 ALLOCATIONS:
    Amalgamated Sugar Co........     1,162,220        10,781         -29,979         -71,320     1,071,703              --         (2,770)     1,068,933
    American Crystal Sugar Co...     1,996,116        18,565         -75,752        -180,217     1,758,711              --        (11,701)     1,747,010
    Michigan Sugar Co...........       560,601         5,200         121,322               0       687,124              --          31,896       719,020
    Minn-Dak Farmers Co-op......       376,983         3,497          44,520               0       425,000              --         (4,025)       420,975
    So. Minn Beet Sugar Co-op...       732,635         6,796         -58,187        -138,428       542,816               -         (5,319)       537,497
    Western Sugar Co............       554,200         5,093          -4,218         -10,034       545,042              --         (7,555)       537,487
    Wyoming Sugar Growers, LLC..        45,451           422           2,294               0        48,167              --           (527)        47,640
                                 -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
        TOTAL BEET SUGAR........     5,428,206        50,355               0        -400,000     5,078,562               -               -     5,078,562
STATE CANE SUGAR ALLOTMENTS:

[[Page 80314]]

 
    Florida.....................     2,318,566        22,732               0        -332,253     2,009,046              --              --     2,009,046
    Louisiana...................     1,793,672        17,586               0        -201,973     1,609,285              --              --     1,609,285
    Texas.......................       201,557         1,976               0         -57,275       146,258              --              --       146,258
    Hawaii......................       245,499             0               0          -8,499       237,000              --              --       237,000
                                 -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
        TOTAL CANE SUGAR........     4,559,294        42,295               0        -600,000     4,001,588              --              --     4,001.588
CANE PROCESSORS' MARKETING
 ALLOCATIONS:
Florida
    Florida Crystals............       954,615         9,360               0        -210,252       753,723        (17,376)              --       736,347
    Growers Co-op. of FL........      417,076,         4,089               0         -25,825       395,341         (2,134)              --       393,206
    U.S. Sugar Corp.............       946,876         9,284               0         -96,177       859,983          19,510              --       879,493
                                 -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
        TOTAL...................     2,318,566        22,732               0        -332,253     2,009,046              --              --     2,009,046
Louisiana
    Louisiana Sugar Cane             1,245,224        12,209               0        -168,664     1,088,768              --              --     1,088,768
     Products, Inc..............
    M.A. Patout & Sons..........       548,448         5,377               0         -33,308       520,517              --              --       520,517
                                 -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
        TOTAL...................     1,793,672        17,586               0        -201,973     1,609,285              --              --     1,609,285
Texas
        Rio Grande Valley.......       201,557         1,976               0         -57,275       146,258              --              --       146,258
Hawaii
    Hawaiian Commercial & Sugar        245,499             0               0          -8,499       237,000              --              --       237,000
     Company....................
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

FY 2014 OAQ, State Allotments, and Processor Allocations

    On August 30, 2013, CCC announced the initial FY 2014 OAQ of 
9,843,000 STRV, the distribution of the FY 2014 beet sugar allotment of 
5,349,671 STRV (54.35 percent of the OAQ) to sugar beet processors, and 
the distribution of the 4,493,330 STRV cane sugar allotment (45.65 
percent of the OAQ) to sugarcane states and processors.
    In a May 30, 2014 news release, CCC announced the reassignment of 
projected surplus beet sugar and cane sugar marketing allotments and 
allocations under the FY 2014 Sugar Marketing Allotment Program. The 
reassignment, which transferred allocations from processors with 
surplus allocation to processors with deficit allocation, was expected 
to increase the supply of domestically-produced sugar.
    Data supplied by the processors indicated that the beet sugar 
sector would be unable to market 100,000 STRV of its sugar marketing 
allotment, while the raw cane sugar sector would be unable to market 
550,000 STRV of its sugar marketing allotment. Hence, the allotments 
were reduced to 5,249,671 STRV for beet sugar and 3,943,330 STRV for 
cane sugar, while 650,000 STRV was reassigned to raw cane sugar imports 
already expected in the WASDE report. This reassignment to imports was 
merely an accounting effort to comply with the Sugar Program 
requirements as specified in 7 U.S.C. 1359ee and was not an increase in 
the raw sugar tariff-rate quota.
    The FY 2014 (2013-crop) beet sugar and cane sugar marketing 
allotments and allocations are listed in the following table:

                              FY 2014 OVERALL BEET/CANE ALLOTMENTS AND ALLOCATIONS
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                 Distribution                    Initial FY14     Reassignments
-----------------------------------------------   allocations   among processors
                                               ----------------------------------  Reassignment      Adjusted
             Date of Announcement                 August 30,                        to imports      allocations
                                                     2013         May 29, 2014
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Beet Sugar....................................       5,349,671  ................       (100,000)       5,249,671
Cane Sugar....................................       4,493,330  ................       (550,000)       3,943,330
Reassignment to Imports of Raw Cane Sugar.....  ..............  ................         650,000         650,000
                                               -----------------------------------------------------------------
        TOTAL OAQ.............................       9,843,000  ................  ..............       9,843,000
BEET PROCESSORS' MARKETING ALLOCATIONS:
    Amalgamated Sugar Co......................       1,145,405          (68,408)        (37,305)       1,039,693
    American Crystal Sugar Co.................       1,967,161          (34,459)        (18,791)       1,913,912
    Michigan Sugar Co.........................         552,490           107,128  ..............         659,618
    Minn-Dak Farmers Co-op....................         371,529            76,249  ..............         447,778
    So. Minn Beet Sugar Co-op.................         722,035          (75,606)        (41,230)         605,200
    Western Sugar Co..........................         546,256             (345)            (73)         546,050
    Wyoming Sugar Growers, LLC................          44,794           (4,771)         (2,602)          37,421
                                               -----------------------------------------------------------------
        TOTAL BEET SUGAR......................       5,349,671  ................       (100,000)       5,249,671
STATE CANE SUGAR ALLOTMENTS:
    Florida...................................       2,283,112          (22,051)       (411,110)       1,849,951

[[Page 80315]]

 
    Louisiana.................................       1,766,244           (6,044)       (112,681)       1,647,519
    Texas.....................................         198,475           (1,406)        (26,209)         170,860
    Hawaii....................................         245,499            29,501  ..............         275,000
                                               -----------------------------------------------------------------
        TOTAL CANE SUGAR......................       4,493,330  ................        (550,00)       3,943,330
CANE PROCESSORS' MARKETING ALLOCATIONS:
Florida
    Florida Crystals..........................         940,017          (12,711)       (236,976)         690,330
    Growers Co-op of FL.......................         410,698           (3,543)        (66,055)         341,100
    U.S. Sugar Corp...........................         932,397           (5,797)       (108,079)         818,521
                                               -----------------------------------------------------------------
        TOTAL.................................       2,283,112          (22,051)       (411,110)       1,849,951
Louisiana
    Louisiana Sugar Cane Products, Inc........       1,226,182           (4,826)        (89,968)       1,131,388
    M.A. Patout & Sons........................         540,061           (1,218)        (22,712)         516,131
                                               -----------------------------------------------------------------
        TOTAL.................................       1,766,244           (6,044)       (112,681)       1,647,519
Texas:
    Rio Grande Valley.........................         198,475           (1,406)        (26,209)         170,860
Hawaii:
    Hawaiian Commercial & Sugar Company.......         245,499            29,501  ..............         275,000
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


    Authority: 15 U.S.C. 714b and 7 U.S.C. 1359hh(c).

Val Dolcini,
Administrator, Farm Service Agency, and Executive Vice President, 
Commodity Credit Corporation.
[FR Doc. 2015-32456 Filed 12-23-15; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3410-05-P