[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 186 (Tuesday, September 25, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 48410-48411]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-20773]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Commodity Credit Corporation

Farm Service Agency


Notice of Funds Availability (NOFA); Market Facilitation Program 
(MFP) Payments to Producers

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

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: MFP provides payments to producers with commodities that have 
been significantly impacted by actions of foreign governments resulting 
in the loss of traditional exports. This NOFA announces the 
availability of MFP funds for eligible producers of shelled almonds and 
fresh sweet cherries and makes a correction to a previously issued NOFA 
published on August 30, 2018, with respect to MFP funds availability 
for hogs. On behalf of the Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC), the Farm 
Service Agency (FSA) administers MFP. MFP participants will receive an 
MFP payment, calculated based on the eligible production multiplied by 
the participant's share multiplied by the MFP payment rate.

DATES: Application period: September 24, 2018, through January 15, 
2019.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Bradley Karmen, telephone: (202) 720-
3175.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Background

    CCC published the MFP regulation, 7 CFR part 1409, on August 30, 
2018 (83 FR 44173-44178), specifying the eligibility requirements, 
payment calculations, and application procedures for MFP. CCC also 
published a NOFA on August 30, 2018 (83 FR 44257-44258) that announced 
funds available for hogs and other commodities. MFP provides assistance 
to producers with commodities that have been significantly impacted by 
actions of foreign governments resulting in the loss of traditional 
exports. This NOFA announces the availability of initial MFP payments 
for 2018 for shelled almonds and fresh sweet cherries.

Correction

    The NOFA announcing funds availability for hogs specifies that the 
date for which the owner reports the number of head of live hogs is 
August 1, 2018. It has come to our attention that the inventory on 
August 1 may not be representative of the operation's inventory. For 
example, a producer may have sold a barnful of hogs a few days before 
August 1, resulting in reduced inventory and then purchased feeder pigs 
a few days later. To provide an option for those owners to participate 
in MFP, this NOFA is revising the requirement. Producers may select any 
day from July 15 through August 15, 2018, as the date for which the 
ownership is reported.

Application Process

    Each eligible producer applies for MFP on an application form. A 
producer applies for MFP once. MFP payments will not be issued until a 
producer certifies production, as described below.

Payment Rates

    The MFP payment rates will be as determined by CCC.
    The MFP payment rates and units of measure that will be in effect 
beginning at the start of the application period, are listed in the 
following table.

------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                Rate ($/
               Commodity                         Unit            unit)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Shelled Almonds.......................  pound................      $0.03
Fresh Sweet Cherries..................  pound................       0.16
------------------------------------------------------------------------

    The initial payment rate will apply to the first 50 percent of the 
producer's total production of the selected commodity. On or about 
December 3, 2018, CCC may announce a second payment rate, if 
applicable, that will apply to the remaining 50 percent of the 
producer's production for the selected commodity.
    MFP payment at either the initial payment rate or at a second 
payment rate will be made after a producer harvests 100 percent of the 
crop and certifies the amount of production.
    The actual production used to calculate an MFP payment under this 
NOFA is 2018 production in which the applicant had an ownership share. 
Specifically, required production information is as follows:
     Harvested production for the 2018 crop year;
     An ownership share for a crop will be as reported to FSA 
on the acreage report, form FSA-578, ``Report of Acreage.''

Production Evidence

    On the application, the producer will certify the amount of 
production and note the source of production evidence. If requested, 
the producer must provide supporting documentation to CCC to determine 
the producer's ownership share and the amount of production.
    If supporting documentation is required for the amount of actual 
production and for ownership share, it needs to be records that 
substantiate the reported amounts. The participant's production for the 
commodity is based on production records. Examples of supporting 
documentation include evidence provided by the participant that is used 
to substantiate the amount of production reported, including copies of 
receipts, ledgers of income, income statements of deposit slips, 
register tapes, invoices for custom harvesting, and records to verify 
production costs, contemporaneous measurements, truck scale tickets, or 
contemporaneous diaries that are determined acceptable by the FSA 
county committee.

Payment Limitation

    For MFP payments, there will be a single combined $125,000 per 
person or legal entity payment limitation for shelled almonds and fresh 
sweet cherries.

[[Page 48411]]

Eligible Crops

    To be eligible to receive an MFP payment for a crop, the acreage of 
the crop must have been reported on FSA-578 and amount of production of 
shelled almonds or fresh sweet cherries must have been harvested and 
entered on the application. Sweet cherries intended for process market 
or juice are not eligible for MFP. The quantity of production for sweet 
cherries is on a ``pack-out'' basis. The quantity of production for 
shelled almonds will be based on the total eligible kernels or such 
similar term as edible meat weight.

Paperwork Reduction Act Requirements

    This NOFA does not require changes to the information collection 
request currently approved by OMB control number 0560-0292. However, 
FSA has requested public comments through October 29, 2018, on the 
information collection requirements as specified in the NOFA published 
on August 30, 2018 (83 FR 44257-44258).

Environmental Review

    The environmental impacts for MFP have been considered in a manner 
consistent with the provisions of the National Environmental Policy Act 
(NEPA, 42 U.S.C. 4321-4347), the regulations of the Council on 
Environmental Quality (40 CFR parts 1500-1508), and the FSA regulation 
for compliance with NEPA (7 CFR part 799).
    As stated in the MFP final rule, the implementation of MFP and the 
participation in MFP do not constitute major Federal actions that would 
significantly affect the quality of the human environment, individually 
or cumulatively. The final rule served as documentation of the 
programmatic environmental compliance decision for this federal 
program; therefore, CCC will not prepare additional environmental 
compliance documentation for this NOFA.

Federal Assistance Programs

    The title and number of the Federal assistance programs, as found 
in the Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance, to which this NOFA 
applies is:

10.123 Market Facilitation Program.

Steven Peterson,
Acting Administrator, Farm Service Agency.
Robert Stephenson,
Executive Vice President, Commodity Credit Corporation.
[FR Doc. 2018-20773 Filed 9-21-18; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3410-05-P