[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 197 (Friday, October 13, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 70920-70922]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-22638]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Commodity Credit Corporation


Domestic Sugar Program--FY 2023 Reassignment and FY 2024 Overall 
Sugar Marketing Allotment, Cane Sugar and Beet Sugar Marketing 
Allotments and Company Allocations

AGENCY: Commodity Credit Corporation, USDA.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is issuing 
this notice to: revise fiscal year (FY) 2023 (crop year 2022) State 
cane sugar allotments and allocations to sugarcane processors; reassign 
FY 2023 cane sugar marketing allocations to raw cane sugar imports 
already anticipated; and announce the FY 2024 (crop year 2023) overall 
sugar marketing allotment quantity (OAQ), State cane sugar allotments, 
and sugar beet and sugarcane processor allocations. The actions to 
revise and reassign apply to all domestic cane sugar marketed for human 
consumption in the United States from October 1, 2022, through 
September 30, 2023, and the action to announce the allocations applies 
to all domestic beet and cane sugar marketed for human consumption in 
the United States from October 1, 2023, through September 30, 2024.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Kent Lanclos, telephone, (202) 720-
0114; or email, [email protected]. Individuals who require 
alternative means of communication should contact the USDA TARGET 
Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and text telephone (TTY)) or dial 711 
for Telecommunications Relay Service (both voice and text telephone 
users can initiate this call from any telephone).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Revisions and Reassignments of FY 2023 Sugar Cane Allotments and 
Allocations

    The Agricultural Adjustment Act of 1938, as amended requires USDA 
to establish the OAQ at a quantity not less than 85 percent of the 
estimated quantity of sugar for domestic human consumption for the crop 
year. On September 30, 2022, USDA announced the initial FY 2023 OAQ, 
which was established at 10,646,250 short tons, raw value (STRV), equal 
to 85 percent of 12,525,000 STRV, the estimated quantity of sugar for 
domestic human consumption for the year as forecast in the September 
2022 World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates report (WASDE). The 
notice was issued in the Federal Register on September 30, 2022 (87 FR 
59390-59391). USDA requires that 54.35 percent of the OAQ be 
distributed among beet processors and 45.65 percent be distributed 
among the sugarcane States and cane processors. The beet and cane 
sector allotments were distributed to individual processors according 
to formulas prescribed by the Agricultural Adjustment Act of 1938 (7 
U.S.C. 1359aa-1359jj) and 7 CFR part 1435.
    In the March 2023 WASDE release, USDA increased the FY 2023 
estimate of sugar consumption for food use to 12,600,000 STRV. As a 
result, USDA increased the FY 2023 OAQ to 10,710,000 STRV, increased 
the beet sector allotment to 5,820,885 STRV, raised the cane sector 
allotment to 4,889,115 STRV, and revised beet and cane processor 
allocations accordingly. This notice was issued in the Federal Register 
notice on April 11, 2023 (88 FR 21704-21606).
    In accordance with section 359e of the Agricultural Adjustment Act 
of 1938 (7 U.S.C. 1359ee), after evaluating each sugarcane processor's 
ability to market its full allocation, USDA is transferring FY 2023 
allocations from sugarcane processors with surplus allocation to those 
with deficit allocation as shown in the table below. USDA has also 
determined that domestic cane sugar supplies are inadequate to fill the 
FY 2023 cane sugar marketing allotment.
    In accordance with 7 U.S.C. 1359ee(b)(2), USDA is reassigning 
100,000 STRV of the deficit to raw cane sugar imports already 
anticipated, given the absence of any Commodity Credit Corporation 
(CCC) stocks of sugar. In

[[Page 70921]]

Table 1 below, each sugar cane processor's allocation following these 
changes is shown in the column labeled ``Revised Allocations & 
Allotments'' and the amount of change in each cane processor's 
allocation in the column labeled ``Reassignments.''
    USDA is not reassigning any FY 2023 beet allocations to raw cane 
sugar imports at this time given the uncertainty about how much beet 
sugar will be produced from new crop sugar beets in the final 2 months 
(August-September) of FY 2023.

  Table 1--Revision of FY 2023 State Allotments, Cane Processor Allocations and Reassignment to Raw Cane Sugar
                                           Imports Already Anticipated
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                      Initial FY23      FY23                          Revised
                    Distribution                      allotments &    revisions   Reassignments    allotments &
                                                       allocations     4/11/23                      allocations
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Beet Sugar.........................................       5,786,237   5,570,885                0       5,570,885
Cane Sugar.........................................       4,860,013   4,389,115         -100,000       4,289,115
Beet Reassign to Raw Cane Sugar Imports............  ..............     250,000                0         250,000
Cane Reassign to Raw Cane Sugar Imports............  ..............     500,000          100,000         600,000
                                                    ------------------------------------------------------------
    Total OAQ......................................      10,646,250  10,710,000                0       10,710,00
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Amalgamated Sugar..................................       1,238,877   1,193,737                0       1,193,737
American Crystal Sugar.............................       2,128,113   2,039,915                0       2,039,915
Michigan Sugar.....................................         597,577     707,281                0         707,281
Minn-Dak Farmers Coop..............................         401,848     419,754                0         419,754
So Minn Beet Sugar.................................         780,958     650,595                0         650,595
Western Sugar......................................         590,415     515,519                0         515,519
Wyoming Sugar......................................          48,449      44,085                0          44,085
                                                    ------------------------------------------------------------
    Total Beet Sugar...............................       5,786,237   5,570,885                0       5,570,885
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Florida............................................       2,612,146   2,152,475         -104,118       2,048,357
Louisiana..........................................       2,020,789   2,134,997           20,528       2,155,525
Texas..............................................         227,078     101,643          -16,410          85,233
                                                    ------------------------------------------------------------
    Total Cane Sugar...............................       4,860,013   4,389,115         -100,000       4,289,115
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Florida:
    Florida Crystals...............................       1,075,489     772,420          -62,806         709,614
    Growers Cooperative............................         469,887     406,257           -6,757         399,501
    U.S. Sugar.....................................       1,066,770     973,798          -34,556         939,242
                                                    ------------------------------------------------------------
        Total Florida..............................       2,612,146   2,152,475         -104,118       2,048,357
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Louisiana:
    Sugar Growers and Refiners.....................       1,402,896   1,463,932           20,528       1,484,460
    M.A. Patout....................................         617,893     671,065                0         671,065
                                                    ------------------------------------------------------------
        Total Louisiana............................       2,020,789   2,134,997           20,528       2,155,525
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Texas:
    Rio Grande Valley..............................         227,078     101,643          -16,410          85,233
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
* Values may not sum to row or column totals due to rounding.

FY 2024 Overall Sugar Marketing Allotment, Cane Sugar and Beet Sugar 
Marketing Allotments, and Company Allocations

    USDA is establishing the initial FY 2024 (crop year 2023) OAQ at 
10,667,500 STRV, equal to 85 percent of 12,550,000 STRV, the estimated 
quantity of sugar for domestic human consumption for FY 2024 as 
forecast in the September 2023 WASDE. As noted above, 54.35 percent of 
the OAQ is distributed among beet processors and 45.65 percent is 
distributed among the sugarcane States and cane processors, with the 
beet and cane sector allotments distributed to individual processors 
according to formulas set out in the Agricultural Adjustment Act of 
1938 and 7 CFR part 1435. Although the Act directs USDA to assign 
325,000 STRV of the cane sector allotment to ``offshore States,'' CCC 
has determined that no offshore States exist. While sugar cane was 
formerly produced in Puerto Rico and Hawaii, CCC has determined that 
both States have permanently exited sugarcane production. As a result, 
CCC has allocated the 325,000 STRV of the cane sector allotment 
previously reserved for offshore States to the mainland sugarcane 
producing States. The initial FY 2024 sugar marketing State allotments 
and processor allocations are listed in Table 2 below.

  Table 2--Initial FY 2024 State Allotments and Beet and Cane Processor
                               Allocations
------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                            Initial FY
                                                               2024
                      Distribution                         allotments &
                                                            allocations
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Beet Sugar..............................................       5,797,786
Cane Sugar..............................................       4,869,714
                                                         ---------------
    Total OAQ...........................................      10,667,500
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Amalgamated Sugar.......................................       1,241,350
American Crystal Sugar..................................       2,132,371
Michigan Sugar..........................................         598,769
Minn-Dak Farmers Coop...................................         402,650
So Minn Beet Sugar......................................         782,517
Western Sugar...........................................         591,583

[[Page 70922]]

 
Wyoming Sugar...........................................          48,546
                                                         ---------------
    Total Beet Sugar....................................       5,797,786
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Florida.................................................       2,617,360
Louisiana...............................................       2,024,823
Texas...................................................         227,531
                                                         ---------------
    Total Cane Sugar....................................       4,869,714
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Florida:
    Florida Crystals....................................       1,077,635
    Growers Cooperative.................................         470,825
    U.S. Sugar..........................................       1,068,900
                                                         ---------------
        Total Florida...................................       2,617,360
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Louisiana:
    Sugar Growers and Refiners..........................       1,405,697
    M.A. Patout.........................................         619,126
                                                         ---------------
        Total Louisiana.................................       2,024,823
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Texas:
    Rio Grande Valley...................................         227,531
------------------------------------------------------------------------
* Values may not sum to column totals due to rounding.

    USDA will closely monitor stocks, consumption, imports and all 
sugar market and program variables on an ongoing basis and may make 
program adjustments during FY 2024 if needed.

USDA Non-Discrimination Policy

    In accordance with Federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of 
Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, USDA, its 
Agencies, offices, and employees, and institutions participating in or 
administering USDA programs are prohibited from discriminating based on 
race, color, national origin, religion, sex, gender identity (including 
gender expression), sexual orientation, disability, age, marital 
status, family or parental status, income derived from a public 
assistance program, political beliefs, or reprisal or retaliation for 
prior civil rights activity, in any program or activity conducted or 
funded by USDA (not all bases apply to all programs). Remedies and 
complaint filing deadlines vary by program or incident.
    Individuals who require alternative means of communication for 
program information (for example, braille, large print, audiotape, 
American Sign Language, etc.) should contact the responsible Agency or 
the USDA TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and text telephone 
(TTY)) or dial 711 for Telecommunications Relay Service (both voice and 
text telephone users can initiate this call from any telephone). 
Additionally, program information may be made available in languages 
other than English.
    To file a program discrimination complaint, complete the USDA 
Program Discrimination Complaint Form, AD-3027, found online at https://www.usda.gov/oascr/how-to-file-a-program-discrimination-complaint and 
at any USDA office or write a letter addressed to USDA and provide in 
the letter all the information requested in the form. To request a copy 
of the complaint form, call (866) 632-9992. Submit your completed form 
or letter to USDA by: (1) mail to: U.S. Department of Agriculture, 
Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, 1400 Independence 
Avenue SW, Washington, DC 20250-9410; (2) fax: (202) 690-7442; or (3) 
email: [email protected].
    USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer, and lender.

Zach Ducheneaux,
Administrator, Farm Service Agency, and Executive Vice President, 
Commodity Credit Corporation.
[FR Doc. 2023-22638 Filed 10-12-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3411-E2-P