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The United States Department of Agriculture's Forest Service has issued a final rule relating to grazing advisory boards. These boards, initially established under outdated regulations, have had their provisions removed to align with current laws. The rule clarifies that the requirements for these boards expired in 1985, making them obsolete. This change is purely technical and does not impact small businesses, federal-state relations, or necessitate new paperwork or public input.

The Foreign Agricultural Service of the USDA has announced its intent to extend the approval for the information collection related to the USDA's Emerging Markets Program, as per the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995. Comments on this proposal are welcomed until April 19, 2021, and can be submitted through various methods, including email and the Federal eRulemaking Portal. The program collects data to evaluate grant applications for activities in foreign countries and requires recipients to submit reports to ensure compliance and achieve objectives. The total annual reporting burden is estimated at 1,600 hours.

The Rural Utilities Service (RUS), part of the US Department of Agriculture, has announced its intention to request an extension of an existing information collection related to providing assistance to rural communities with high energy costs. Members of the public and affected agencies are invited to comment on various aspects of the proposed information collection, including its necessity, accuracy, and ways to minimize the burden on respondents. Comments must be submitted by March 12, 2021. The information collection is part of a program initiated under the Rural Electrification Act of 1936, which was amended in 2000 to authorize financial assistance to these communities.

The Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) of the Department of Agriculture has issued a final rule confirming fee changes for official grain inspection and weighing services provided by the Federal Grain Inspection Service (FGIS). Originally set in an interim rule from June 2024, these fee revisions came into effect in July 2024 and have been finalized without changes. The fees aim to cover costs for mandatory services under the United States Grain Standards Act, which requires annual fee adjustments and maintaining a financial reserve. Despite acknowledging comments on the potential impact of these fees on grain marketing, AMS noted that the changes are necessary for the continued operation of inspection services, ultimately benefiting all participants by reflecting current service costs.

The Pecan Promotion, Research, and Information Order was established to help boost the pecan industry in the United States. It introduces a system to collect assessments from producers and importers to fund marketing campaigns and research aimed at increasing demand for pecans. The rule sets up a governing Board to oversee these activities and requires a referendum after three years to decide on the continuation of the order. While most of the industry supports this program, there are concerns about the financial burden on producers due to existing marketing orders.

The Agriculture Department and Food and Nutrition Service issued a correction to a previously published proposed rule concerning the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Quality Control Review Handbook. The original document, dated January 3, 2025, erroneously listed the date "March 4, 2024" under the DATES section. This has been corrected to read "March 4, 2025". This change ensures that readers have the correct information regarding important dates in the proposed rule.

The Federal Crop Insurance Corporation published a correcting amendment to a rule that changes certain insurance provisions for crops like sunflower seed and dry pea. Originally, the amendments were published on November 30, 2020, but some changes were not properly included in the official regulations. This document fixes those errors by correcting dates, removing a repetitive word, and updating phrases within the insurance provisions. The changes to the regulation are effective starting February 24, 2021.

The Department of Agriculture's Agricultural Marketing Service has approved a recommendation to increase the assessment rate for watermelons under the Watermelon Research and Promotion Plan. The new rate boosts the assessment from six to nine cents per hundredweight. Domestic producers with 10 acres or more and domestic handlers will each pay four and a half cents per hundredweight, while importers of 150,000 pounds or more will pay nine cents per hundredweight. This increase aims to address inflation's impact on the plan’s buying power and continues to support marketing and research efforts, benefiting the watermelon industry overall. The rule also includes administrative corrections without changing the assessment rate.

The National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) is announcing its plan to revise and extend an information collection related to feral swine, as mandated by the 2014 Farm Bill. This survey aims to assess the damage caused by feral swine in several states to both crops and livestock, with past surveys indicating significant economic impact. NASS plans to gather data from farm and ranch operators via mail and phone, with a total estimated response burden of 9,700 hours annually. The survey supports a $20 million program to help states manage the rapidly growing population of feral swine. Public comments on this notice are invited until April 9, 2021.