[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 133 (Friday, July 10, 2020)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 41321-41323]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-14854]
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Rules and Regulations
Federal Register
________________________________________________________________________
This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER contains regulatory documents
having general applicability and legal effect, most of which are keyed
to and codified in the Code of Federal Regulations, which is published
under 50 titles pursuant to 44 U.S.C. 1510.
The Code of Federal Regulations is sold by the Superintendent of Documents.
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Federal Register / Vol. 85, No. 133 / Friday, July 10, 2020 / Rules
and Regulations
[[Page 41321]]
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Office of the Secretary
7 CFR Part 9
[Docket ID: FSA-2020-0004]
Notice of Funding Availability; Coronavirus Food Assistance
Program (CFAP) Additional Eligible Commodities
AGENCY: Office of the Secretary, USDA.
ACTION: Notification of funding availability.
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SUMMARY: The Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP) helps
agricultural producers impacted by the effects of the COVID-19
outbreak. As provided in the CFAP regulation, this document announces
additional commodities that have been determined to be eligible for
CFAP assistance. USDA carefully reviewed the additional information
provided in the comments to develop the list of additional commodities.
Additional review is ongoing, which will result in a subsequent
announcement.
DATES: Effective: July 10, 2020.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: William L. Beam, telephone (202) 720-
3175; email [email protected]. Persons with disabilities or who
require alternative means for communication should contact the USDA
Target Center at (202) 720-2600.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Coronavirus Food Assistance Program
(CFAP) helps agricultural producers impacted by the effects of the
COVID-19 outbreak. The CFAP regulations are in 7 CFR part 9. The CFAP
regulations provide the general eligibility requirements, the
application process, and payment calculation information. The CFAP rule
was published in the Federal Register on May 21, 2020 (85 FR 30825-
30835) and a correction published in the Federal Register on June 12,
2020 (85 FR 35799-35800).
This document announces additional agricultural commodities that
are eligible for CFAP and the payment rates for each commodity. In the
interest of announcing additional commodities as eligible for CFAP as
quickly as possible, to ensure that eligible producers can apply for
and receive their payments as soon as possible, we are issuing more
than one document in response to the comments. This document includes
those commodities for which we could make decisions quickly. For other
commodities, we are reviewing additional information and will provide
the responses to the comments on those commodities in a subsequent
announcement. Our goal is also to make the subsequent announcement as
soon after the publication of this document as possible.
USDA requested information to evaluate whether additional
commodities suffered losses that should result in eligibility for CFAP.
The CFAP notification that requested information from the public for
additional commodities that suffered losses was published in the
Federal Register on May 22, 2020 (85 FR 31062-31065) and a correction
was published on June 12, 2020, (85 FR 30812). USDA specifically
requested information in order to evaluate whether additional
commodities suffered losses that should result in eligibility for CFAP.
Comments were submitted through June 22, 2020, and USDA continues to
review the information provided in the comments. USDA received a total
of 1,740 comments. At the time of this document USDA had reviewed about
half of the comments received. To expedite payment to growers, USDA is
making recommendations for payment in this document based on this
subset of comments and further review of market news data. Additional
commodities, if they meet eligibility criteria, would be added later.
Comment: Individuals and organizations requested that a number of
commodities be added to the list of eligible specialty crops.
Commenters stated that these commodities experienced price decreases as
much as other commodities originally included in the final rule and
should be added to the list of eligible commodities to receive
payments. Other commenters mentioned that certain commodities could
benefit even when no price decrease was identified because they were
affected by market chain disruptions. Some comments included sufficient
data for USDA to make a determination. USDA reviewed Market News data
and found data for some commodities listed by commenters. Accordingly,
we are adding the following commodities, based on comments and Market
News data: Alfalfa Sprouts, Anise, Arugula, Basil, Bean Sprouts, Beets,
Blackberries, Brussel Sprouts, Celeriac (celery root), Chives,
Cilantro, Coconuts, Collard Greens, Dandelion Greens, Greens (others
not listed separately), Guava, Kale Greens, Lettuce Boston, Lettuce
Green Leaf, Lettuce Lolla Rossa, Lettuce Oak Leaf Green, Lettuce Oak
Leaf Red, Lettuce Red Leaf, Marjoram, Mint, Mustard, Okra, Oregano,
Parsnips, Passion Fruit, Peas Green, Pineapples, Pistachios, Radicchio,
Rosemary, Sage, Savory, Sorrel, Sugarcane (table), Swiss Chard, Thyme,
Turnip Tops Green.
Response: We carefully analyzed the Market News data for the
requested commodities that we evaluated and have determined that these
additional commodities are eligible for CFAP, as requested by the
commenters. The table below at the end of this document provides the
payment rates by commodity.
Comment: A few commenters stated that USDA had miscalculated price
decreases for commodities such as blueberries. The commenter ran the
market news reports and came up with a different conclusion than the
original data included in the May 21, 2020, final rule. Commenters also
provided additional industry price information for potatoes and apples
and requested that potatoes be separated between fresh, fresh russet,
processed, and seed potatoes.
Response: While running reports for the new commodities requested,
USDA found some inconsistencies in data points. USDA is correcting the
regulation in 7 CFR part 9 in a final rule correction published in the
Federal Register to eliminate these errors by adding eligibility for 5
commodities under sales losses. The commodities are: Blueberries,
garlic, raspberries, tangerines and taro.
While doing this review USDA also found that two commodities no
longer qualify for the sales losses category and is deleting their
availability for this
[[Page 41322]]
category. The two commodities are: peaches and rhubarb. The corrected
payment rates for these commodities are listed in the rule correction.
USDA also reviewed commenters information on apples and potatoes,
including separating potatoes into fresh, processed, and seed. USDA
agrees with commenters data and is providing corrected payment rates
for these commodities in the rule correction. USDA is also correcting
payment rates for apples, artichokes, asparagus, blueberries,
cantaloupes, cucumbers, garlic, kiwifruit, mushrooms, papaya, peaches,
potatoes, raspberries, rhubarb, tangerines, and taro in the rule.
Payment Rates for Specialty Crops
[By commodity]
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CARES Act payment rate
for product that left
CARES Act payment rate the farm but spoiled CCC payment rate ($/
Commodity for sales losses ($/ due to loss of lb)
lb) marketing channel ($/
lb)
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Alfalfa Sprouts...................... ....................... $8.14 $1.59
Anise................................ $0.88 0.81 0.16
Arugula.............................. ....................... 4.64 0.91
Basil................................ 0.30 1.65 0.32
Bean Sprouts......................... ....................... 0.26 0.05
Beets................................ ....................... 0.30 0.06
Blackberries......................... 1.72 2.11 0.41
Brussels Sprouts..................... 0.26 0.34 0.07
Celeriac (Celery Root)............... ....................... 0.52 0.10
Chives............................... ....................... 1.32 0.26
Cilantro............................. 0.19 0.23 0.05
Coconuts............................. ....................... 0.25 0.05
Collard Greens....................... 0.04 0.21 0.04
Dandelion Greens..................... 0.06 0.26 0.05
Greens (others not listed)........... 0.08 0.16 0.03
Guava................................ 1.52 1.73 0.34
Kale Greens.......................... ....................... 0.22 0.04
Lettuce, Boston...................... 0.09 0.34 0.07
Lettuce, Green Leaf.................. 0.44 0.60 0.12
Lettuce, Lolla Rossa................. ....................... 1.69 0.33
Lettuce, Oak Leaf--Green............. ....................... 1.69 0.33
Lettuce, Oak Leaf--Red............... ....................... 1.69 0.33
Lettuce, Red Leaf.................... 0.42 0.60 0.12
Marjoram............................. 1.06 1.42 0.28
Mint................................. ....................... 7.47 1.46
Mustard.............................. ....................... 0.21 0.04
Okra................................. 0.31 0.46 0.09
Oregano.............................. ....................... 1.22 0.24
Parsnips............................. 0.06 0.40 0.08
Passion Fruit........................ 0.89 3.21 0.63
Peas Green........................... 0.10 0.36 0.07
Pineapples........................... ....................... 0.23 0.04
Pistachios........................... ....................... 0.74 0.14
Radicchio............................ ....................... 0.72 0.14
Rosemary............................. ....................... 2.60 0.51
Sage................................. 0.72 3.06 0.60
Savory............................... ....................... 0.62 0.12
Sorrel............................... ....................... 2.85 0.56
Sugarcane, table..................... ....................... 0.14 0.03
Swiss Chard.......................... ....................... 0.25 0.05
Thyme................................ ....................... 2.63 0.51
Turnip Tops Greens................... ....................... 0.19 0.04
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[[Page 41323]]
The complete list of all eligible specialty crops and payment rates
is available at https://www.farmers.gov/cfap/specialty. USDA is still
evaluating comments and will issue another document with additional
determinations and payment rates.
The correction in the payment rates and the resulting changes in
the eligibility for specific types of payments per commodity will not
change CFAP costs.
Stephen L. Censky,
Vice Chairman, Commodity Credit Corporation, and Deputy Secretary, U.S.
Department of Agriculture.
[FR Doc. 2020-14854 Filed 7-9-20; 8:45 am]
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