[Federal Register: April 28, 2003 (Volume 68, Number 81)]
[Notices]
[Page 22355-22357]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr28ap03-25]
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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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[[Page 22355]]
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Commodity Credit Corporation
Domestic Sugar Program--Revisions of 2002-Crop Cane Sugar
Marketing Allotments and Allocations
AGENCY: Commodity Credit Corporation, USDA.
ACTION: Notice.
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SUMMARY: The Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) is issuing this notice
to advise the public that CCC has reassigned the unused cane sugar
allocations from processors in Hawaii and Puerto Rico to processors in
Florida, Louisiana and Texas. State cane allotments were updated to be
consistent with revised 2002-crop cane sugar production forecasts.
Hurricanes in Louisiana last October caused distortions in mill
production levels relative to processor allocations and unexpectedly
prevented the marketing of sugar. To correct these distortions and
resume marketing Louisiana cane sugar, CCC realigned mill allocations
earlier than the May 1 regulatory deadline. CCC also distributed the
Talisman allocation among the Florida processors according to the
statutory requirement.
The Hawaiian cane allotment was reduced 22,951 short tons, raw
value (STRV); Puerto Rico's allotment was reduced 5,946 STRV. Florida
gained 15,864 STRV, Louisiana gained 9,280 STRV and Texas gained 3,753
STRV. In addition, the entire Talisman allocation of 58,713 STRV was
reassigned to three Florida processors.
ADDRESSES: Barbara Fecso, Dairy and Sweeteners Analysis Group, Economic
Policy and Analysis Staff, Farm Service Agency, USDA, 1400 Independence
Avenue, SW., STOP 0516, Washington, DC 20250-0516; telephone (202) 720-
4146; FAX (202) 690-1480; e-mail: barbara.fecso@usda.gov.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Barbara Fecso at (202) 720-4146.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Section 359e(a) of the Farm Security and
Rural Investment Act of 2002 requires the Secretary to periodically
determine whether (in view of current sugar inventories, estimated
sugar production, expected marketings and other pertinent factors) any
processor will be unable to market the sugar covered by the portion of
the State cane sugar allotment allocated to the processor. Section
359e(b)(1)(B) further directs the Secretary to reassign the estimated
quantity of a State deficit proportionately to the allotments for other
cane sugar States (depending on each State's capacity to market) when a
State does not have the capacity to absorb its allocation among its own
processors.
In February 2003, the Department of Agriculture surveyed cane sugar
processors asking for revisions to 2002-crop production and ending
stock estimates for the purpose of calculating reassignments. The
allotments/allocations were calculated in two steps:
Step 1: Because 50 percent of cane sugar State allotments and
processor allocations are based on the estimate of current crop
production, updated production estimates from the February survey
yielded new allotments/allocations (column C of the attached table).
Step 2: Survey results revealed 28,897 STRV in unused allocations
to Hawaiian and Puerto Rican processors. This amount was
proportionately redistributed only to those cane processors in the
Mainland States, who revealed in the same survey, a shortfall in
allocation for the current crop year (column D of the attached table).
Section 359d(b)(C) requires CCC to distribute the closed Talisman
factory's allocation among Florida processors in accordance with the
agreements of March 25 and 26, 1999, between the affected processors
and the Secretary of the Interior. CCC distributed Talisman's
allocation based on the distribution of Talisman's acreage between the
affected processors in the 1999 agreements. The Talisman distribution
was calculated after the above reassignments (column E of the attached
table).
USDA will continue to closely monitor market performance and
critical program variables throughout the year to ensure meeting
program objectives and maintaining market balance. Cane sugar
allotment/allocation reassignments will be reevaluated periodically as
production estimates improve.
This notice is being issued in addition to the USDA press release
entitled ``USDA Announces Revisions to 2002-Crop Cane Sugar Marketing
Allotments and Allocations,'' which was issued on March 13, 2003, and
is only intended to supplement and not supplant what was announced in
that release. These actions apply to all domestic cane sugar marketed
for human consumption in the United States from October 1, 2002,
through September 30, 2003. The revised 2002-crop cane sugar marketing
allotments and allocations (in short tons, raw value) are listed in the
following table:
[[Page 22356]]
Fiscal Year 2003 Sugar Marketing Allotments and Allocations
[Revised March, 2003]
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C Change in allotment/ D Change in
B Jan 03 revised allocation due ONLY to allotment/allocation E Talisman F New allotment/
A allotment/allocation new processor due ONLY to distribution allocation
production estimates reassignments
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(short tons, raw value)
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Overall Beet/Cane Allotments:
Beet Sugar..................... 4,456,700............. 0..................... 0.................... 0.................... 4,456,700
Cane Sugar (Includes P. Rico).. 3,743,300............. 0..................... 0.................... 0.................... 3,743,300
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Total (Overall Allotment 8,200,000............. 0..................... 0.................... 0.................... 8,200,000
Quantity).
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State Cane Sugar Allotments:
Florida........................ 1,929,516............. -6,424................ 22,288............... 0.................... 1,945,380
Louisiana...................... 1,330,912............. 4,673................. 4,607................ 0.................... 1,340,192
Texas.......................... 157,872............... 1,750................. 2,002................ 0.................... 161,625
Hawaii......................... 318,829............... 49.................... -23,000.............. 0.................... 295,878
Puerto Rico.................... 6,171................. -49................... -5,897............... 0.................... 225
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Total Cane Sugar........... 3,743,300............. 0..................... 0.................... 0.................... 3,743,300
------------------------------------
Florida:
Atlantic Sugar Assoc........... 144,869............... 2,573................. 930.................. 0.................... 148,371
Growers Co-op. of FL........... 350,846............... -7,135................ 701.................. 3,564................ 347,976
Okeelanta Corp................. 389,302............... -9,128................ 7,602................ 32,912............... 420,688
Osceola Farms Co............... 227,315............... -2,212................ 4,472................ 0.................... 229,575
Talisman Sugar Corp............ 59,660................ -947.................. 0.................... -58,713.............. 0
U.S. Sugar Corp................ 757,524............... 10,425................ 8,584................ 22,237............... 798,769
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Florida Total.............. 1,929,516............. -6,424................ 22,288............... 0.................... 1,945,380
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Louisiana:
Alma Plantation................ 77,818................ -6,006................ 823.................. 0.................... 72,635
Caire & Graugnard.............. 5,597................. 495................... 0.................... 0.................... 6,091
Cajun Sugar Co-op.............. 97,645................ 2,940................. 471.................. 0.................... 101,056
Cora-Texas Mfg. Co............. 116,530............... 2,388................. 379.................. 0.................... 119,297
Evan Hall Factory.............. 2,797................. 121................... -2,918............... 0.................... 0
Harry Laws & Co................ 58,181................ -4,054................ 921.................. 0.................... 55,048
Iberia Sugar Co-op............. 62,798................ 1,746................. 0.................... 0.................... 64,543
Jeanerette Sugar Co............ 63,305................ -1,283................ 400.................. 0.................... 62,422
Lafourche Sugars Corp.......... 72,494................ -8,059................ 5.................... 0.................... 64,441
Louisiana Sugarcane Co-op...... 82,781................ -1,858................ 83................... 0.................... 81,006
Lula Westfield, LLC............ 143,145............... 4,678................. 3.................... 0.................... 147,826
M.A. Patout & Sons............. 173,937............... 5,992................. 3,361................ 0.................... 183,290
Raceland Sugars................ 78,082................ 4,323................. 111.................. 0.................... 82,516
St. Mary Sugar Co-op........... 92,875................ -4,531................ 325.................. 0.................... 88,669
So. Louisiana Sugars Co-op..... 115,098............... 3,268................. 0.................... 0.................... 118,366
Sterling Sugars................ 87,830................ 4,512................. 644.................. 0.................... 92,986
-------------------------
Louisiana Total............ 1,330,912............. 4,673................. 4,607................ 0.................... 1,340,192
------------------------------------
Texas: Rio Grande Valley........... 157,872............... 1,750................. 2,002................ 0.................... 161,625
Hawaii:
Gay & Robinson, Inc............ 62,163................ 2,135................. 0.................... 0.................... 64,298
Hawaiian Commercial & Sugar 256,666............... -2,086................ -23,000.............. 0.................... 231,580
Company.
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Hawaii Total............... 318,829............... 49.................... -23,000.............. 0.................... 295,878
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Puerto Rico:
Agraso......................... 3,984................. -32................... -3,727............... 0.................... 225
Roig........................... 2,187................. -17................... -2,170............... 0.................... 0
-------------------------
Puerto Rico Total.......... 6,171................. -49................... -5,897............... 0.................... 225
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[[Page 22357]]
Signed in Washington, DC on April 11, 2003.
James R. Little,
Executive Vice President, Commodity Credit Corporation.
[FR Doc. 03-10391 Filed 4-25-03; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-05-P