[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 61 (Wednesday, March 30, 2022)]
[Notices]
[Pages 18350-18351]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2022-06679]


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 Notices
                                                 Federal Register
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 This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER contains documents other than rules 
 or proposed rules that are applicable to the public. Notices of hearings 
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 delegations of authority, filing of petitions and applications and agency 
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  Federal Register / Vol. 87, No. 61 / Wednesday, March 30, 2022 / 
Notices  

[[Page 18350]]



DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Agricultural Marketing Service

[Doc. No. AMS-SC-22-0021]


Fruit and Vegetable Industry Advisory Committee (FVIAC): Notice 
of Intent To Reestablish Charter and Call for Nominations

AGENCY: Agricultural Marketing Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice: Intent to reestablish charter and call for nominations.

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SUMMARY: Through this Notice, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) 
is announcing the following: Its intent to reestablish the Charter of 
the Fruit and Vegetable Industry Advisory Committee (FVIAC), which 
expires March 16, 2022; its call for nominations to fill up to 25 
upcoming vacancies for appointments in 2022, and its call for 
nominations for a pool of candidates to fill future unexpected 
vacancies in any position categories should that occur. The FVIAC is 
seeking members who represent the fruit and vegetable industry 
including growers, shippers, wholesalers/distributors, brokers, 
retailers/restaurant representatives, state agencies, state departments 
of agriculture, foodservice suppliers, and fresh-cut and other fruit 
and vegetable processors. The FVIAC should also include representatives 
of farmers markets and food hubs, organic and non-organic fruit and 
vegetable representatives, farmer organizations, and produce trade 
associations. Please note, individuals who are federally registered 
lobbyists, appointed to committees to exercise their own individual 
best judgment on behalf of the government (e.g., as Special Government 
Employees) are ineligible to serve and cannot be considered for USDA 
advisory committee membership. Members can only serve on one USDA 
advisory committee at a time. All nominees will undergo a USDA 
background check. You must submit the following to nominate yourself or 
someone else to the FVIAC: a resume (required), a USDA Advisory 
Committee Membership Background Information Form AD-755--available 
online at https://www.usda.gov/sites/default/files/documents/ad-755.pdf 
(required), a cover letter (required), and a list of endorsements or 
letters of recommendation (optional). The resume or curriculum vitae 
must be limited to five one-sided pages and should include a summary of 
the following information: Current and past organization affiliations; 
areas of expertise; education; career positions held; and any other 
notable positions held. For submissions received that are more than 
five one-sided pages in length, only the first five pages will be 
reviewed.

DATES: The current FVIAC Charter expires on March 16, 2022. The current 
representative terms expire July 9, 2022. Nomination packages including 
a cover letter to the Secretary, the nominee's typed resume or 
curriculum vitae, and a completed USDA Advisory Committee Membership 
Background Information Form AD-755 must be postmarked on or before May 
31, 2022.

ADDRESSES: Mr. Darrell Hughes serves as the Designated Federal Officer 
and can be reached at (202) 378-2576 or by email [email protected]. 
Mailing address: Darrell Hughes, U.S. Department of Agriculture, 1400 
Independence Avenue SW, South Building-Room 1575-STOP 0235, Washington, 
DC 20250-0235, Attn: Fruit and Vegetable Industry Advisory Committee.
    Comments: The Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) invites 
interested persons to submit comments on this notice. Comments will be 
accepted on or before 11:59 p.m. ET on April 14, 2022, via http://www.regulations.gov: Document # AMS-SC-22-0021.
    The AMS Specialty Crops Program strongly prefers comments be 
submitted electronically. However, written comments may be submitted 
(i.e., postmarked) via mail to the person listed in the ADDRESSES 
section by or before the abovementioned deadline.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Pursuant to the Federal Advisory Committee 
Act (FACA) (5 U.S.C. app. 2), notice is hereby given that the Secretary 
of Agriculture intends to reestablish the FVIAC for two years. The 
purpose of the FVIAC is to examine the full spectrum of issues faced by 
the fruit and vegetable industry and provide suggestions and ideas to 
the Secretary on how USDA can tailor its programs to better meet the 
fruit and vegetable industry's needs.
    The Deputy Administrator of the AMS Specialty Crops Program serves 
as the FVIAC Executive Secretary. Representatives from USDA mission 
areas and agencies affecting the fruit and vegetable industry could be 
called upon to participate in the FVIAC's meetings as determined by the 
FVIAC Executive Secretary and the FVIAC.
    Industry members are appointed by the Secretary of Agriculture and 
serve 2-year terms, with a maximum of three 2-year terms. The Secretary 
of Agriculture appointed 24 members in 2020. Twelve (12) members have 
served two terms and twelve (12) members have served one term. All the 
terms expire July 9, 2022.
    The Secretary of Agriculture will appoint members for the upcoming 
vacancies to serve a 2-year term of office beginning in 2022 and ending 
in 2024. The Secretary of Agriculture will hold nominations received 
that could fill future unexpected vacancies in any of the position 
categories as a pool of candidates that the Secretary can draw upon as 
replacement appointees if unexpected vacancies occur. A person 
appointed to fill a vacancy will serve for the remainder of the 2-year 
term of the vacant position. The Secretary of Agriculture invites those 
individuals, organizations, and groups affiliated with the categories 
listed in the SUMMARY section to nominate individuals or themselves for 
membership on the FVIAC.
    The full Committee expects to meet at least twice a year in-person, 
virtually, or by teleconference, and the meetings will be announced in 
the Federal Register. FVIAC workgroup/subcommittees will meet as deemed 
necessary by the chairperson and may meet through teleconference or by 
computer-based conferencing. Subcommittees may invite technical experts 
to present information for consideration by the subcommittee. The 
subcommittee meetings will not be announced in the Federal Register. 
All data and records available to the full Committee are expected to be 
available to the public when the full Committee reviews and approves 
the work of the subcommittee.

[[Page 18351]]

Members must be prepared to work outside of scheduled Committee and 
subcommittee meetings and may be required to assist in document 
preparation. Committee members serve on a voluntary basis; however, 
travel expenses and per diem reimbursement are available.
    The Secretary of Agriculture seeks a diverse group of members 
representing a broad spectrum of persons interested in providing 
suggestions and ideas on how USDA can tailor its programs to meet the 
fruit and vegetable industry's needs. Equal opportunity practices will 
be followed in all appointments to the FVIAC in accordance with USDA 
policies. To ensure that FVIAC recommendations take into account the 
needs of the diverse groups served by USDA, membership should reflect 
the diversity of the industry in terms of the experience of members, 
methods of production and distribution, marketing strategies, and other 
distinguishing factors, including but not limited to individuals from 
historically underserved communities, that will bring different 
perspectives and ideas to the table.
    The information collection requirements concerning the nomination 
process have been previously cleared by the Office of Management and 
Budget (OMB) under OMB Control No. 0505-0001.

    Date: March 24, 2022.
Cikena Reid,
USDA Committee Management Officer.
[FR Doc. 2022-06679 Filed 3-29-22; 8:45 am]
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