[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 92 (Monday, May 15, 2017)]
[Notices]
[Pages 22306-22308]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2017-09721]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards Administration


United States Standards for Beans

AGENCY: Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards Administration, USDA.

ACTION: Notice; request for public comment.

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SUMMARY: The United States Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Grain 
Inspection, Packers and Stockyards Administration (GIPSA) is proposing 
a revision to the United States Standards for Beans to (1) establish a 
class and grade requirement chart for ``chickpeas,'' also known as 
``garbanzo beans,'' and (2) establish a new grade determining factor, 
definition, factor limits, and visual reference image for ``contrasting 
chickpeas.'' These revisions are being proposed at the request of the 
pea and lentil industry, and are supported by the bean industry. GIPSA 
believes that this proposed revision of the United States Standards for 
Beans would facilitate the marketing of chickpeas and improve the 
application of the standards.

DATES: GIPSA will consider comments received by June 14, 2017.

ADDRESSES: GIPSA invites all interested parties submit comments on this 
Notice. You may submit comments by any of the following methods:
     Mail: M. Irene Omade, GIPSA, USDA, 1400 Independence 
Avenue SW., Room 2530-S, Washington, DC 20250-3613.
     Hand Delivery or Courier: M. Irene Omade, GIPSA, USDA, 
1400 Independence Avenue SW., Room 2530-S, Washington, DC 20250-3613.
     Internet: http://www.regulations.gov. Follow the on-line 
instructions for submitting comments.
    Instructions: All comments should make reference to the date and 
page number of this issue of the Federal Register. All documents and 
comments relating to this Notice are available for public inspection in 
Room 2530-S, 1400 Independence Avenue SW., Washington, DC 20250-3613 
during regular business hours (7 CFR 1.27(b)). All comments received 
will be included in the public docket without change, including any 
personal information

[[Page 22307]]

provided. Please call the GIPSA Management and Budget Services support 
staff (202) 720-8479 for an appointment to view the comments.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Beverly A. Whalen at GIPSA, USDA, 
10383 N. Ambassador Drive, Kansas City, MO 64153; Telephone: (816) 659-
8410; Fax: (816) 872-1258; [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Section 203(c) of the Agricultural Marketing 
Act of 1946, as amended, (AMA), directs and authorizes the Secretary of 
Agriculture ``To develop and improve standards of quality, condition, 
quantity, grade, and packaging and recommend and demonstrate such 
standards in order to encourage uniformity and consistency in 
commercial practices.'' GIPSA is committed to carrying out this 
authority in a manner that facilitates the marketing of agricultural 
commodities.
    Under the AMA, GIPSA establishes standards for graded commodities 
including rice, whole dry peas, split peas, feed peas, lentils, and 
beans. The AMA standards are voluntary and widely used in private 
contracts, government procurement, marketing communication, and/or 
consumer information. The standards serve as a common trading language 
to define commodity quality in the domestic and global marketplace.

Background

    GIPSA engages in regular outreach with stakeholders to ensure 
commodity standards maintain relevance with the modern market. Chickpea 
industry stakeholders include the USA Dry Pea and Lentil Council 
(USADPLC), a national organization of producers, processors, and 
exporters of U.S. dry peas, lentils, and chickpeas; the US Dry Pea and 
Lentil Trade Association (USPLTA), a national association representing 
processors, traders, and transporters in the pea, lentil and chickpea 
industry; and the US Dry Bean Council (USDBC), representing the U.S. 
dry bean industry, including growers, shippers, dealers, canners, 
state, and regional trade associations.
    The United States Standards for Beans are found on GIPSA's public 
Web site at: https://www.gipsa.usda.gov/fgis/standards/Bean-Standards.pdf. USDPLC and USPLTA reviewed the United States Standards 
for Beans, which were last revised in 2008. According to information 
received by GIPSA from these stakeholders, chickpea acreage has 
expanded in the U.S. rapidly over the last several years and is 
expected to increase in 2017. Consequently, the stakeholders 
communicated the need to establish ``chickpeas'' as a specific class in 
order to better define them in the marketplace.
    Currently, chickpeas are graded under the Miscellaneous Bean 
standard. This is confusing to the market because GIPSA issues an ``AMA 
Commodity Inspection Certificate'' providing the commonly accepted 
commercial name, ``chickpea'' or ``garbanzo'' as the class on the 
certificate grade line. Specifically, these groups asked GIPSA to (1) 
establish a class and grade requirement chart for ``chickpeas,'' (2) 
use the terms ``chickpeas'' and ``garbanzo beans'' interchangeably, and 
(3) establish a new grade determining factor, definition, factor 
limits, and visual reference image for ``contrasting chickpeas.''
    GIPSA provides official inspection procedures for beans in the Bean 
Handbook, found on GIPSA's public Web site at: https://www.gipsa.usda.gov/fgis/handbook/BeanHB/BeanHandbook_2016-02-23.pdf.

Establishment of Class ``Chickpeas''

    The stakeholders jointly recommended that GIPSA establish a new 
class and grade requirement chart for ``chickpea,'' and also 
recommended a new grade determining factor, definition, and factor 
limits for grades No's 1, 2, and 3 for ``contrasting chickpeas.'' GIPSA 
and these stakeholders collaborated to develop a visual reference image 
that best reflects the ``contrasting chickpeas'' condition. The 
stakeholder endorsed the following definition:

    Contrasting chickpeas are chickpeas that differ substantially in 
shape or color.

    The table of grade and grade requirements for Chickpeas (Garbanzo 
Beans) would be:

                                                135 Grades and Grade Requirements for the Class Chickpea
                                                                     [Garbanzo Bean]
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                                    Percent maximum limits of--
                                         ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                           Total defects                         Foreign material
                                                              (total                     --------------------------------
                                                          damaged, total
                  Grade                                       foreign                                                       Contrasting     Contrasting
                                           Moisture \1\      material,     Total damaged       Total                        classes \2\    chickpeas \3\
                                                            contrasting                     (including        Stones
                                                            classes, &                        stones)
                                                              Splits)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
U.S. No. 1..............................            18.0             2.0             2.0             0.5             0.2             0.5             1.0
U.S. No. 2..............................            18.0             4.0             4.0             1.0             0.4             1.0             2.0
U.S. No. 3..............................            18.0             6.0             6.0             1.5             0.6             2.0             5.0
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
U.S. Substandard are beans that do not meet the requirements for the grades U.S. No. 1 through U.S. No. 3 or U.S. Sample grade. Beans that are not well
 screened must also be U.S. Substandard, except for beans that meet the requirements for U.S. Sample grade.
U.S. Sample grade are beans that are musty, sour, heating, materially weathered, or weevily; have any commercially objectionable odor that contain
 insect webbing or filth, animal filth, any unknown foreign substance, broken glass, or metal fragments; or are otherwise of distinctly low quality.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ Beans with more than 18.0 percent moisture are graded high moisture.
\2\ Beans with more than 2.0 percent contrasting classes are graded mixed beans.
\3\ Beans with more than 5.0 percent contrasting chickpeas are graded mixed beans.

Proposed GIPSA Action

    Based on input from stakeholder organizations in the pea and bean 
industry who concurred on the need for revisions to the United States 
Standards for Beans, GIPSA proposes to revise the bean standards to (1) 
establish a class and grade requirement chart for chickpeas and (2) 
establish a new grade

[[Page 22308]]

determining factor, definition, factor limits, and visual reference 
image for contrasting chickpeas.
    Under Terms Defined:

    Section 102, Classes, would be amended to include Chickpeas 
(Garbanzo Beans). A new Section 122, Contrasting Chickpeas would be 
added.

    Under Principles Governing Application of the Standards:

    Current Sections 122, 123, and 124 would be renumbered to 123, 124, 
and 125 with no change to the text.

    Under Grades, Grade Requirements, Grade Designations, Special 
Grades, and Special Grade Requirements:

    Current Sections 125, 126, 127, 128, 129, 130, 131, 132, and 133 
would be renumbered to 126, 127, 128, 129, 130, 131, 132, 133, 134, 
with no change to the text.

    A new Section 135, Grade and grade requirements for the class 
Chickpeas (Garbanzo Beans) would be added.
    Current Sections 134 and 135 would be renumbered to 136 and 137, 
respectively, with no change to the text.
    GIPSA will solicit comments for 30 days. All comments received 
within the comment period will be made part of the public record 
maintained by GIPSA, will be available to the public for review, and 
will be considered by GIPSA before a final action is taken on this 
proposal.
    The Bean Handbook would be revised to incorporate any revision to 
the standards.

    Authority:  7 U.S.C. 1621-1627.


Randall D. Jones,
Acting Administrator, Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards 
Administration.
[FR Doc. 2017-09721 Filed 5-12-17; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3410-KD-P