[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 126 (Friday, June 29, 2018)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 30591-30592]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-14017]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Agricultural Marketing Service

7 CFR Part 810

[Doc. No. AMS-FGIS-18-0052]


United States Standards for Corn

AGENCY: Agricultural Marketing Service, USDA.

ACTION: Request for information.

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SUMMARY: The United States Department of Agriculture's (USDA) 
Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) is seeking comments from the 
public regarding the United States (U.S.) Standards for Corn under the 
United States Grain Standards Act (USGSA). To ensure that standards and 
official grading practices remain relevant, AMS invites interested 
parties to comment on whether the current corn standards and grading 
practices need to be changed.

DATES: We will consider comments we receive by August 28, 2018.

ADDRESSES: Submit comments or notice of intent to submit comments by 
any of the following methods:
     Postal Mail: Please send your comment addressed to Kendra 
Kline, AMS, USDA, 1400 Independence Avenue SW, Room 2043-S, Washington, 
DC 20250-3614.
     Hand Delivery or Courier: Kendra Kline, AMS, USDA, 1400 
Independence Avenue SW, Room 2043-S, Washington, DC 20250-3614.
     Internet: Go to http://www.regulations.gov. Follow the on-
line instructions for submitting comments.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Patrick McCluskey, USDA AMS; 
Telephone: (816) 659-8403; Email: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Section 4 of the USGSA (7 U.S.C. 76(a)) 
grants the Secretary of Agriculture the authority to establish 
standards for corn and other grains regarding kind, class, quality, and 
condition. The corn standards, established by USDA on December 1, 1916, 
were last revised in 1995 (60 FR 61194) and appear in the USGSA 
regulations at 7 CFR 810.401-810.405. The standards facilitate corn 
marketing and define U.S. corn quality in the domestic and global 
marketplace. The standards define commonly used industry terms; contain 
basic principles governing the application of standards, such as the 
type of sample used for a particular quality analysis; the basis of 
determination; and specify grades and grade requirements. Official 
procedures for determining grading factors are provided in Grain 
Inspection Handbook, Book II, Chapter 4, ``Corn''. The Handbook also 
includes standardized procedures for additional quality attributes not 
used to determine grade, such as stress crack analysis and moisture 
content. Together, the grading standards and official procedures allow 
buyers and sellers to communicate quality requirements, compare corn 
quality using equivalent forms of measurement, and assist in price 
discovery.
    The realignment of offices within the U.S. Department of 
Agriculture authorized by the Secretary's Memorandum dated November 14, 
2017, ``Improving Customer Service and Efficiency'', eliminates the 
Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards Administration (GIPSA) as a 
standalone agency. Federal Grain Inspection Service (FGIS) activities, 
formerly part of GIPSA, are now organized under

[[Page 30592]]

AMS. FGIS grading and inspection services are provided through a 
network of federal, state, and private laboratories that conduct tests 
to determine the quality and condition of corn. These tests are 
conducted in accordance with applicable standards using approved 
methodologies and can be applied at any point in the marketing chain. 
Furthermore the tests yield rapid, reliable, and consistent results. In 
addition, FGIS-issued certificates describing the quality and condition 
of graded corn are accepted as prima facie evidence in all Federal 
courts. U.S. Standards for Corn and the affiliated grading and testing 
services offered by FGIS verify that a seller's corn meet specified 
requirements, and ensure that customers receive the quality of corn 
they purchased.
    In order for U.S. standards and grading procedures for corn to 
remain relevant, AMS is issuing this request for information to invite 
interested parties to submit comments, ideas, and suggestions on all 
aspects of the U.S. Standards for Corn and official procedures.

    Authority: 7 U.S.C. 71-87k.

    Dated: June 26, 2018.
Greg Ibach,
Under Secretary, Marketing and Regulatory Programs.
[FR Doc. 2018-14017 Filed 6-28-18; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3410-02-P