83_FR_44426 83 FR 44257 - Notice of Funds Availability (NOFA); Market Facilitation Program (MFP) Payments to Producers

83 FR 44257 - Notice of Funds Availability (NOFA); Market Facilitation Program (MFP) Payments to Producers

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Commodity Credit Corporation

Federal Register Volume 83, Issue 169 (August 30, 2018)

Page Range44257-44258
FR Document2018-18819

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 the following commodities for 2018: Soybeans, sorghum, wheat, extra long staple (ELS) cotton, upland cotton, corn, hogs, and milk. On behalf of the Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC), the Farm Service Agency (FSA) will administer 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.

Federal Register, Volume 83 Issue 169 (Thursday, August 30, 2018) 
[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 169 (Thursday, August 30, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 44257-44258]
From the Federal Register Online  [www.thefederalregister.org]
[FR Doc No: 2018-18819]


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Notices
                                                Federal Register
________________________________________________________________________

This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER contains documents other than rules 
or proposed rules that are applicable to the public. Notices of hearings 
and investigations, committee meetings, agency decisions and rulings, 
delegations of authority, filing of petitions and applications and agency 
statements of organization and functions are examples of documents 
appearing in this section.

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Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 169 / Thursday, August 30, 2018 / 
Notices

[[Page 44257]]



DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Commodity Credit Corporation


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

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

ACTION: Notice.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

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 the following 
commodities for 2018: Soybeans, sorghum, wheat, extra long staple (ELS) 
cotton, upland cotton, corn, hogs, and milk. On behalf of the Commodity 
Credit Corporation (CCC), the Farm Service Agency (FSA) will administer 
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 4, 2018, through January 15, 2019.
    Comment Dates: We will consider comments on the Paperwork Reduction 
Act that we receive by: October 29, 2018.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Bradley Karmen, Acting Deputy 
Administrator for Farm Programs, telephone: (202) 720-3175.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Background

    CCC published 7 CFR part 1409 in the Rules and Regulations section 
of this issue of the Federal Register specifying the eligibility 
requirements, payment calculations, and application procedures for MFP. 
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 soybeans, sorghum, wheat, ELS 
cotton, upland cotton, corn, hogs, and milk.

Application Process

    Each eligible producer applies for MFP on an application form. A 
producer applies for MFP once. 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 September 4, 2018, are listed in the following table.

------------------------------------------------------------------------
           Commodity                       Unit            Rate ($/unit)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Soybeans.......................  bushels................           $1.65
Sorghum........................  bushels................            0.86
Wheat..........................  bushels................            0.14
Cotton (Upland and ELS)........  pounds.................            0.06
Corn...........................  bushels................            0.01
Hogs...........................  head...................            8.00
Milk...........................  hundredweight (cwt)....            0.12
------------------------------------------------------------------------
The units of measure are: bu = number of bushels; lb. = weight in
  pounds; head = number of head of hogs; and cwt = hundredweight.

    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 for 2018 production in which the applicant had an ownership 
share. Specifically, required production information is as follows:
     For crops, harvested production for the 2018 crop year;
     For hogs, the number of head of live hogs owned as of 
August 1, 2018; and
     For milk, the historical production reported for the 
Margin Protection Program--Dairy (following the same reporting rules as 
used for MPP--Dairy).
    An ownership share for a crop will be as reported to FSA on the 
acreage report, form FSA-578, ``Report of Acreage.'' With respect to 
cotton, the ownership share applies only to cotton harvested as lint 
cotton and with respect to corn, sorghum, and wheat, the ownership 
share applies only to such commodities that are harvested as grain. The 
ownership share for milk will be as reported to FSA for MPP--Dairy for 
the dairy operation that was in business as of June 1, 2018. Dairy 
operations that are not in business as of June 1, 2018, are ineligible 
for MFP. Ownership for hogs will be reported to FSA on the MFP 
application; if a person or legal entity has a contract to grow the 
hogs, but does not own the hogs as of August 1, 2018, the person or 
legal entity is ineligible for MFP.

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 also provide supporting documentation as determined 
by CCC for the amount of production.
    If supporting documentation is required for the amount of actual

[[Page 44258]]

production and for ownership share, it needs to be verifiable records 
that substantiate the reported amounts. The participant's production 
for the commodity is based on verifiable or reliable production 
records. Examples of reliable production records include evidence 
provided by the participant that is used to substantiate the amount of 
production reported when verifiable records are not available, 
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 county committee.
    Reliable record means any nonverifiable record available that 
reasonably supports the eligible production, as determined acceptable 
by the FSA county committee.
    Verifiable record means a document provided by the producer that 
can be verified by the FSA county committee through an independent 
source and is used to substantiate the eligible production.

Payment Limitation

    For MFP payments, there will be a single combined $125,000 per 
person or legal entity payment limitation for the five crops announced 
in this NOFA and a separate combined per person or legal entity 
$125,000 payment limitation for hogs and milk.

Eligible Crops

    To be eligible to receive an MFP payment for a crop, the amount of 
mechanically harvested production for soybeans, sorghum, wheat, ELS 
cotton, upland cotton, and corn will be the amount based on the crop 
types, intended uses, and status that are consistent with the 
Agriculture Risk Coverage (ARC) and Price Loss Coverage (PLC) program 
regulations in 7 CFR part 1412, except grazing is not an eligible 
intended use for MFP.

Paperwork Reduction Act Requirements

    In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 
chapter 35), FSA is requesting comments from interested individuals and 
organizations on the information collection activities related to MFP. 
After the 60-day period ends, the information collection request will 
be submitted to OMB for the 3-year approval to cover MFP information 
collection.
    To start the MFP information collection approval, FSA received 
emergency approval from OMB for 6 months. The emergency approval covers 
this NOFA and any other MFP information collection activities.
    Title: Marketing Facilitation Program (MFP).
    OMB Control Number: 0560--New.
    Type of Request: New Collection.
    Abstract: This information collection is required to support all 
MFP information collection activities (NOFA and the regulation in 7 CFR 
part 1409) to provide eligible producers payments with respect to 
commodities that have been significantly impacted by actions of foreign 
governments resulting in the loss of traditional exports. The 
information collection is necessary to evaluate the application and 
other required paperwork for determining the producer's eligibilities 
and assist in producer's payment calculations.
    For the following estimated total annual burden on respondents, the 
formula used to calculate the total burden hour is the estimated 
average time per response multiplied by the estimated total annual 
responses.
    Public reporting burden for this information collection is 
estimated to include the time for reviewing instructions, searching 
existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed and 
completing and reviewing the collections of information.
    Type of Respondents: Producers or farmers.
    Estimated Annual Number of Respondents: 784,439.
    Estimated Number of Reponses per Respondent: 1.
    Estimated Total Annual Responses: 784,439.
    Estimated Average Time per Response: 0.6983 hours.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden on Respondents: 863,297.
    FSA is requesting comments on all aspects of this information 
collection to help us to:
    (1) Evaluate whether the collection of information is necessary for 
the proper performance of the functions of the FSA, including whether 
the information will have practical utility;
    (2) Evaluate the accuracy of the FSA's estimate of burden including 
the validity of the methodology and assumptions used;
    (3) Enhance the quality, utility and clarity of the information to 
be collected;
    (4) Minimize the burden of the collection of information on those 
who are to respond, including through the use of appropriate automated, 
electronic, mechanical, or other technological collection techniques or 
other forms of information technology.
    All comments received in response to this notice, including names 
and addresses when provided, will be a matter of public record. 
Comments will be summarized and included in the submission for Office 
of Management and Budget approval.

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.

Richard Fordyce,
Administrator, Farm Service Agency.
Robert Stephenson,
Executive Vice President, Commodity Credit Corporation.
[FR Doc. 2018-18819 Filed 8-28-18; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3410-05-P

44257 Notices Federal Register Vol. 83, No. 169 Thursday, August 30, 2018 This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER commodities for 2018: Soybeans, the eligibility requirements, payment contains documents other than rules or sorghum, wheat, extra long staple (ELS) calculations, and application proposed rules that are applicable to the cotton, upland cotton, corn, hogs, and procedures for MFP. MFP provides public. Notices of hearings and investigations, milk. On behalf of the Commodity assistance to producers with committee meetings, agency decisions and Credit Corporation (CCC), the Farm commodities that have been rulings, delegations of authority, filing of petitions and applications and agency Service Agency (FSA) will administer significantly impacted by actions of statements of organization and functions are MFP. MFP participants will receive an foreign governments resulting in the examples of documents appearing in this MFP payment, calculated based on the loss of traditional exports. This NOFA section. eligible production multiplied by the announces the availability of initial participant’s share multiplied by the MFP payments for 2018 for soybeans, MFP payment rate. sorghum, wheat, ELS cotton, upland DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE DATES: cotton, corn, hogs, and milk. Application period: September 4, Application Process Commodity Credit Corporation 2018, through January 15, 2019. Notice of Funds Availability (NOFA); Comment Dates: We will consider Each eligible producer applies for Market Facilitation Program (MFP) comments on the Paperwork Reduction MFP on an application form. A Payments to Producers Act that we receive by: October 29, producer applies for MFP once. 2018. Payments will not be issued until a AGENCY: Commodity Credit Corporation producer certifies production, as FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: and Farm Service Agency, USDA. described below. Bradley Karmen, Acting Deputy ACTION: Notice. Administrator for Farm Programs, Payment Rates SUMMARY: MFP provides payments to telephone: (202) 720–3175. producers with commodities that have SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The MFP payment rates will be as been significantly impacted by actions determined by CCC. of foreign governments resulting in the Background The MFP payment rates and units of loss of traditional exports. This NOFA CCC published 7 CFR part 1409 in the measure that will be in effect beginning announces the availability of MFP funds Rules and Regulations section of this September 4, 2018, are listed in the for eligible producers of the following issue of the Federal Register specifying following table. Rate Commodity Unit ($/unit) Soybeans .................................................................................... bushels ....................................................................................... $1.65 Sorghum ...................................................................................... bushels ....................................................................................... 0.86 Wheat .......................................................................................... bushels ....................................................................................... 0.14 Cotton (Upland and ELS) ........................................................... pounds ....................................................................................... 0.06 Corn ............................................................................................ bushels ....................................................................................... 0.01 Hogs ............................................................................................ head ........................................................................................... 8.00 Milk .............................................................................................. hundredweight (cwt) ................................................................... 0.12 The units of measure are: bu = number of bushels; lb. = weight in pounds; head = number of head of hogs; and cwt = hundredweight. The initial payment rate will apply to • For crops, harvested production for of June 1, 2018. Dairy operations that the first 50 percent of the producer’s the 2018 crop year; are not in business as of June 1, 2018, total production of the selected • For hogs, the number of head of live are ineligible for MFP. Ownership for commodity. On or about December 3, hogs owned as of August 1, 2018; and hogs will be reported to FSA on the 2018, CCC may announce a second • For milk, the historical production MFP application; if a person or legal payment rate, if applicable, that will reported for the Margin Protection entity has a contract to grow the hogs, apply to the remaining 50 percent of the Program—Dairy (following the same but does not own the hogs as of August producer’s production for the selected reporting rules as used for MPP—Dairy). 1, 2018, the person or legal entity is commodity. An ownership share for a crop will be ineligible for MFP. MFP payment at either the initial as reported to FSA on the acreage Production Evidence payment rate or at a second payment report, form FSA–578, ‘‘Report of rate will be made after a producer Acreage.’’ With respect to cotton, the On the application, the producer will harvests 100 percent of the crop and ownership share applies only to cotton certify the amount of production and amozie on DSK3GDR082PROD with NOTICES1 certifies the amount of production. harvested as lint cotton and with respect note the source of production evidence. The actual production used to to corn, sorghum, and wheat, the If requested, the producer must also calculate an MFP payment under this ownership share applies only to such provide supporting documentation as NOFA is for 2018 production in which commodities that are harvested as grain. determined by CCC for the amount of the applicant had an ownership share. The ownership share for milk will be as production. Specifically, required production reported to FSA for MPP—Dairy for the If supporting documentation is information is as follows: dairy operation that was in business as required for the amount of actual VerDate Sep<11>2014 17:25 Aug 29, 2018 Jkt 244001 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 E:\FR\FM\30AUN1.SGM 30AUN1

44258 Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 169 / Thursday, August 30, 2018 / Notices production and for ownership share, it To start the MFP information electronic, mechanical, or other needs to be verifiable records that collection approval, FSA received technological collection techniques or substantiate the reported amounts. The emergency approval from OMB for 6 other forms of information technology. participant’s production for the months. The emergency approval covers All comments received in response to commodity is based on verifiable or this NOFA and any other MFP this notice, including names and reliable production records. Examples of information collection activities. addresses when provided, will be a reliable production records include Title: Marketing Facilitation Program matter of public record. Comments will evidence provided by the participant (MFP). be summarized and included in the that is used to substantiate the amount OMB Control Number: 0560—New. submission for Office of Management of production reported when verifiable Type of Request: New Collection. and Budget approval. records are not available, including Abstract: This information collection is required to support all MFP Environmental Review copies of receipts, ledgers of income, income statements of deposit slips, information collection activities (NOFA The environmental impacts for MFP register tapes, invoices for custom and the regulation in 7 CFR part 1409) have been considered in a manner harvesting, and records to verify to provide eligible producers payments consistent with the provisions of the production costs, contemporaneous with respect to commodities that have National Environmental Policy Act measurements, truck scale tickets, or been significantly impacted by actions (NEPA, 42 U.S.C. 4321–4347), the contemporaneous diaries that are of foreign governments resulting in the regulations of the Council on determined acceptable by the county loss of traditional exports. The Environmental Quality (40 CFR parts committee. information collection is necessary to 1500–1508), and the FSA regulation for Reliable record means any evaluate the application and other compliance with NEPA (7 CFR part nonverifiable record available that required paperwork for determining the 799). reasonably supports the eligible producer’s eligibilities and assist in As stated in the MFP final rule, the production, as determined acceptable by producer’s payment calculations. implementation of MFP and the the FSA county committee. For the following estimated total participation in MFP do not constitute annual burden on respondents, the major Federal actions that would Verifiable record means a document formula used to calculate the total significantly affect the quality of the provided by the producer that can be burden hour is the estimated average human environment, individually or verified by the FSA county committee time per response multiplied by the cumulatively. The final rule served as through an independent source and is estimated total annual responses. documentation of the programmatic used to substantiate the eligible Public reporting burden for this environmental compliance decision for production. information collection is estimated to this federal program; therefore, CCC will Payment Limitation include the time for reviewing not prepare additional environmental instructions, searching existing data compliance documentation for this For MFP payments, there will be a sources, gathering and maintaining the NOFA. single combined $125,000 per person or data needed and completing and legal entity payment limitation for the Federal Assistance Programs reviewing the collections of five crops announced in this NOFA and The title and number of the Federal information. a separate combined per person or legal Type of Respondents: Producers or assistance programs, as found in the entity $125,000 payment limitation for farmers. Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance, hogs and milk. Estimated Annual Number of to which this NOFA applies is: Eligible Crops Respondents: 784,439. 10.123 Market Facilitation Program. Estimated Number of Reponses per To be eligible to receive an MFP Richard Fordyce, Respondent: 1. payment for a crop, the amount of Estimated Total Annual Responses: Administrator, Farm Service Agency. mechanically harvested production for 784,439. Robert Stephenson, soybeans, sorghum, wheat, ELS cotton, Estimated Average Time per Executive Vice President, Commodity Credit upland cotton, and corn will be the Response: 0.6983 hours. Corporation. amount based on the crop types, Estimated Total Annual Burden on [FR Doc. 2018–18819 Filed 8–28–18; 8:45 am] intended uses, and status that are Respondents: 863,297. BILLING CODE 3410–05–P consistent with the Agriculture Risk FSA is requesting comments on all Coverage (ARC) and Price Loss Coverage aspects of this information collection to (PLC) program regulations in 7 CFR part help us to: DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 1412, except grazing is not an eligible (1) Evaluate whether the collection of intended use for MFP. information is necessary for the proper Food and Nutrition Service Paperwork Reduction Act performance of the functions of the Agency Information Collection Requirements FSA, including whether the information Activities: Proposed Collection; will have practical utility; In accordance with the Paperwork (2) Evaluate the accuracy of the FSA’s Comment Request—Supplemental Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. estimate of burden including the Nutrition Assistance Program— chapter 35), FSA is requesting validity of the methodology and Disaster Supplemental Nutrition comments from interested individuals assumptions used; Assistance Program (D–SNAP) amozie on DSK3GDR082PROD with NOTICES1 and organizations on the information (3) Enhance the quality, utility and AGENCY: Food and Nutrition Service, collection activities related to MFP. clarity of the information to be USDA. After the 60-day period ends, the collected; ACTION: Notice. information collection request will be (4) Minimize the burden of the submitted to OMB for the 3-year collection of information on those who SUMMARY: In accordance with the approval to cover MFP information are to respond, including through the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this collection. use of appropriate automated, notice invites the general public and VerDate Sep<11>2014 17:25 Aug 29, 2018 Jkt 244001 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 E:\FR\FM\30AUN1.SGM 30AUN1


Document Created: 2018-08-30 01:21:46
Document Modified: 2018-08-30 01:21:46
CategoryRegulatory Information
CollectionFederal Register
sudoc ClassAE 2.7:
GS 4.107:
AE 2.106:
PublisherOffice of the Federal Register, National Archives and Records Administration
SectionNotices
ActionNotice.
DatesApplication period: September 4, 2018, through January 15, 2019.
ContactBradley Karmen, Acting Deputy Administrator for Farm Programs, telephone: (202) 720-3175.
FR Citation83 FR 44257 
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