Revision of U.S. Standards for Grades of Watermelons
| Published date | 11 March 2021 |
| Citation | 86 FR 13874 |
| Record Number | 2021-05044 |
| Section | Notices |
| Court | Agricultural Marketing Service,Agriculture Department |
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Notices Federal Register
13874
Vol. 86, No. 46
Thursday, March 11, 2021
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Agricultural Marketing Service
[Doc. No. AMS–SC–20–0096, SC–20–327]
Revision of U.S. Standards for Grades
of Watermelons
AGENCY
: Agricultural Marketing Service,
USDA.
ACTION
: Notice and request for
comments.
SUMMARY
: The Agricultural Marketing
Service (AMS) of the Department of
Agriculture (USDA) proposes to revise
the U.S. Standards for Grades of
Watermelons. The proposed changes
would provide a common language for
trade of watermelons.
DATES
: Comments must be submitted on
or before May 10, 2021.
ADDRESSES
: Interested persons are
invited to submit written comments to
the USDA, Specialty Crops Inspection
Division, 100 Riverside Parkway, Suite
101, Fredericksburg, VA 22406; fax:
(540) 361–1199; or at
www.regulations.gov. Comments should
reference the date and page numbers of
this issue of the Federal Register.
Comments will be posted without
change, including any personal
information provided. All comments
received within the comment period
will become part of the public record
maintained by the Agency and will be
made available to the public via
www.regulations.gov.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT
:
David G. Horner, at the address above,
by phone (540) 361–1128; fax (540) 361–
1199; or email Dave.Horner@usda.gov.
Copies of the proposed U.S. Standards
for Watermelons are available at http://
www.regulations.gov. Copies of the
current U.S. Standards for Grades of
Watermelons are available on the AMS
website at www.ams.usda.gov/grades-
standards/fruits.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION
: Section
203(c) of the Agricultural Marketing Act
of 1946 (7 U.S.C. 1621–1627), as
amended, directs and authorizes the
Secretary of Agriculture ‘‘to develop and
improve standards of quality, condition,
quantity, grade, and packaging, and
recommend and demonstrate such
standards in order to encourage
uniformity and consistency in
commercial practices.’’
AMS is committed to carrying out this
authority in a manner that facilitates the
marketing of agricultural commodities
and makes copies of official standards
available upon request. The U.S.
Standards for Grades of Fruits and
Vegetables that no longer appear in the
Code of Federal Regulations are
maintained by AMS at: http://
www.ams.usda.gov/grades-standards.
AMS is proposing revisions to these
U.S. Standards for Grades using the
procedures that appear in part 36 of
Title 7 of the Code of Federal
Regulations (7 CFR part 36).
Background
On October 22, 2019, the National
Watermelon Association (NWA), a trade
association representing growers,
retailers, and shippers, from 30 U.S.
states, Canada, and Central America,
petitioned the USDA to revise the
watermelon standards and update the
official USDA visual aids library. AMS
worked closely with the NWA
throughout the development of the
proposed revisions, soliciting their
comments and suggestions about the
standards through discussion drafts and
presentations. Through this
collaboration, AMS also developed and
issued four new watermelon visual aids.
On November 20, 2020, the NWA
approved the proposed revisions which
are as follows:
•§ 51.1973 Tolerances: For defects at
shipping point, en route, or at
destination for the U.S. No. 1 and U.S.
No. 2 grades, the standards currently
provide separate tolerances for
Anthracnose and decay. Anthracnose
lesions on watermelon result in loss of
marketability. Due to the severity of this
defect, industry requested the tolerance
section be revised to reduce the amount
of Anthracnose permitted in each grade.
The proposed revisions will remove the
3% tolerance for Anthracnose at
shipping point and remove the 5%
tolerance for Anthracnose en route or at
destination. The tolerance for decay
would be revised to establish a total
tolerance of 1% and 2% respectively for
shipping point and en route or at
destination for Anthracnose and decay.
•§ 51.1976 Size: The current
standard shows average weights of
watermelons ranging from 20 to 42
pounds. Smaller watermelons are much
more common in the marketplace than
was once the case, so AMS is proposing
to align weights with current marketing
trends by adjusting the average weights
to 10 to 34 pounds.
•§ 51.1985 Permanent defects and
§ 51.1986 Condition defects: The current
standard lists sunburn as a condition
defect, primarily based on the past
practice of shipping watermelons in
open top trailers. Today, watermelons
are generally shipped in enclosed
trailers. Melons generally only have
sunburn due to exposure in the field.
Therefore, AMS proposes to remove
sunburn as a condition defect and add
sunburn as a permanent defect.
•§ 51.1978 and §51.1982: In
§ 51.1978, AMS proposes to correct the
typo in the definition for fairly well
formed to read ‘‘the perfect type for the
variety’’ instead of ‘‘the perfect type of
the variety.’’ In § 51.1982, AMS
proposes to add the missing heading
identifying the definition: ‘‘Seedless
watermelons.’’
•§ 51.1987 Classification of defects:
AMS proposes to base the scoring
guides for sunburn, hail, rind worm
injury, scars (and other similar defects),
and transit rubs on a 15-pound melon
instead of a 25-pound melon, again
reflecting that smaller melons are
prevalent in today’s markets. The most
common size melon sold in the market
is 15 pounds, followed by 11 and 18
pounds. In addition, at industry’s
request, AMS proposes to base the
scoring guide for hollow heart on any
size melon instead of 25 pounds. Lastly,
also at industry’s request, AMS
proposes to limit the scoring of rind
worm injury on the ground spot.
Consumers tend not to purchase a
watermelon based only on the ground
spot or any rind worm injury that might
be on it. Therefore, AMS proposes that
rind worm injury occurring on the
ground spot is only scorable under the
definition of damage when seriously
detracting from the appearance of the
melon; rind worm injury occurring on
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13875
Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 46 / Thursday, March 11, 2021 / Notices
the ground spot is not scorable as
serious damage.
•AMS proposes to remove all metric
measurements from the standards. The
U.S. watermelon industry does not use
metrics and finds them a distraction in
the standards.
The proposed revisions will ensure
the standards align with current
marketing trends.
A 60-day period is provided for
interested persons to submit comments
on the proposed grade standards. Copies
of the proposed revised U.S. Standards
for Grades of Watermelons are available
at http://www.regulations.gov. After the
60-day comment period, AMS will
proceed in accordance with 7 CFR
36.3(a)(1–3).
Authority: 7 U.S.C. 1621–1627.
Bruce Summers,
Administrator, Agricultural Marketing
Service.
[FR Doc. 2021–05044 Filed 3–10–21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE P
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Submission for OMB Review;
Comment Request
March 8, 2021.
The Department of Agriculture has
submitted the following information
collection requirement(s) to OMB for
review and clearance under the
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995,
Public Law 104–13. Comments are
requested regarding; whether the
collection of information is necessary
for the proper performance of the
functions of the agency, including
whether the information will have
practical utility; the accuracy of the
agency’s estimate of burden including
the validity of the methodology and
assumptions used; ways to enhance the
quality, utility and clarity of the
information to be collected; and ways to
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.
Comments regarding this information
collection received by April 12, 2021
will be considered. Written comments
and recommendations for the proposed
information collection should be
submitted within 30 days of the
publication of this notice on the
following website www.reginfo.gov/
public/do/PRAMain. Find this
particular information collection by
selecting ‘‘Currently under 30-day
Review—Open for Public Comments’’ or
by using the search function. An agency
may not conduct or sponsor a collection
of information unless the collection of
information displays a currently valid
OMB control number and the agency
informs potential persons who are to
respond to the collection of information
that such persons are not required to
respond to the collection of information
unless it displays a currently valid OMB
control number.
Animal and Plant Health Inspection
Service
Title: Foot-and-Mouth Disease;
Prohibition on Importation of Farm
Equipment.
OMB Control Number: 0579–0195.
Summary of Collection: The Animal
Health Protection Act (AHPA) of 2002 is
the primary Federal law governing the
protection of animal health. (The AHPA
is contained in Title X, Subtitle E,
Sections 10401–18 of Public Law 107–
171, May 13, 2002, the Farm Security
and Rural Investment Act of 2002, and
can be found at 7 U.S.C. 8301 et. seq.)
It gives the Secretary of Agriculture
broad authority to detect, control, or
eradicate pests or diseases of livestock
or poultry. The Secretary may also
prohibit or restrict import or export of
any animal or related material if
necessary, to prevent the spread of any
livestock or poultry pest or disease.
As a result of the occurrences of foot-
and-mouth disease (FMD) in different
parts of the world, under 9 CFR 94.1(c)
APHIS prohibits the importation of all
used farm equipment into the United
States from regions in which FMD
exists, unless the exporter provides
certification signed by an authorized
official of the national animal health
service of the exporting region stating
that the equipment, after its last use and
prior to export, has been steam-cleaned
free of all exposed dirt and particulate
material in the exporting region. APHIS
inspects all such farm equipment to
ensure it complies with the regulations.
Need and Use of the Information:
APHIS will collect information through
the use of a certification statement
completed by the farm equipment
exporter and signed by an authorized
official of the national animal health
service of the region of origin, stating
that the steam-cleaning of the
equipment was done prior to export to
the United States. This is necessary to
help prevent the introduction of FMD
into the United States. If the information
were not collected APHIS would be not
be able to determine risk associated
with importing farm equipment and
would be forced to stop the importation
of used farm equipment from FMD
affected regions. This could financially
impact exporters and importers of the
equipment.
Description of Respondents: Business
or other for-profit; Federal Government.
Number of Respondents: 79.
Frequency of Responses: Reporting:
On occasion.
Total Burden Hours: 1,159.
Animal Plant and Health Inspection
Service
Title: Self Certification Medical
Statement.
OMB Control Number: 0579–0196.
Summary of Collection: The United
States Department of Agriculture is
responsible for ensuring consumers that
food and farm products are moved from
producer to consumer in the most
efficient, dependable, economical, and
equitable system possible. Each year,
the United States Department of
Agriculture’s Marketing and Regulatory
Programs (MRP) agency hires
individuals for commodity grading and
inspection positions to ensure this
process is efficient and effective. These
positions often involve arduous
conditions and require direct contact
with meat, dairy, fresh or processed
fruits and vegetables, and poultry
intended for human consumption; and
cotton and tobacco products intended
for consumer use. 5 CFR part 339
authorizes an agency to request medical
information from an applicant that may
assist management with employment
decisions concerning covered positions
that have specific medical or physical
fitness requirements. APHIS will collect
the applicant’s medical information
using MRP Form 5 (Self-Certification
Medical Statement).
Need and Use of the Information: The
information collected from prospective
employees assists MRP officials,
administrative personnel, and servicing
Human Resources Offices in
determining an applicant’s physical
fitness and suitability for employment
in positions with approved medical
standards and physical requirements. If
the information was not collected,
APHIS would not be able to accurately
determine the applicant’s fitness to
safely perform the duties of the covered
positions.
Description of Respondents:
Individuals.
Number of Respondents: 1,826.
Frequency of Responses: Reporting:
On occasion.
Total Burden Hours: 306.
Animal Plant and Health Inspection
Service
Title: Commercial Transportation of
Equines for Slaughter.
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