The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is seeking comments about a proposed rule amending the makeup of the National Dairy Promotion and Research Board (Dairy Board). The proposal would modify the number of Dairy Board importer members by one. Currently the Board includes two importer members. The number of domestic members would remain unchanged at 36.
The National Dairy Promotion and Research Order (Dairy Order) requires that at least once every three years the Secretary shall review the average volume of domestic production of dairy products compared to the average volume of imports of dairy products into the United States during the previous review period and, on the basis of that review (if warranted) reapportion the importer representation on the Dairy Board to reflect the proportional shares of the United States market served by domestic production and imported dairy products. The USDA will issue a final rule once comments have been received and considered.
The Dairy Board was established under the Dairy Production Stabilization Act of 1983(as amended) to develop and administer a coordinated program of promotion, research, and nutrition education. The Board is authorized to design programs to strengthen the dairy industry’s position in domestic and foreign markets. The program is financed by a mandatory 15-cent per hundredweight assessment on all milk marketed commercially and a 7.5-cent per hundredweight assessment on milk, or equivalent thereof, on dairy products imported into the United States.
The Proposed Rule will be published in the April 4, 2016 Federal Register. Public comments must be submitted within 30 days after Federal Register publication. Comments may be submitted at www.regulations.gov/ or mailed to Whitney A. Rick, Director, Promotion, Research, and Planning Division, Dairy Program, AMS, USDA, 1400 Independence Ave., SW, Room 2958-S, Stop 0233, Washington, DC 20250-0233, USA. Comments should be identified with the docket number, AMS-DA-14-0074, as well as the date and Federal Register page number of the Proposed Rule.
Copies of the Proposed Rule may be obtained from USDA, AMS, Dairy Program, Room 2958-S, Washington, DC 202250-0233, USA from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday. The Proposed Rule is also available on www.regulations.gov/.