The Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) initiated a public comment period on September 23, 2026, regarding its plan to extend and revise critical information collection requirements for numerous federal marketing orders governing fruit crops. This move, rooted in the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, directly affects the regulatory framework for key agricultural commodities, including various citrus types, avocados, kiwifruit, cherries, grapes, and pears, by ensuring the continued operation and effectiveness of these programs. The deadline for public comments is November 23, 2026.
Foundations of Federal Marketing Orders
Federal marketing orders are established under the Agricultural Marketing Agreement Act of 1937. These orders empower specific commodity industries to collectively address market imbalances, ensure consistent quality, and support producer returns. They operate through industry-appointed boards or committees that oversee local administration, often authorizing activities such as production and marketing research, volume regulation, reserve programs, container specifications, and quality control. Handlers regulated under these orders pay assessments to fund these operations. The Secretary of Agriculture provides oversight, issuing regulations based on recommendations from these industry committees.
Scope of the Proposed Information Collection
AMS intends to extend and revise an information collection that is central to the functioning of several fruit marketing orders. This collection covers programs for: Florida citrus (7 CFR part 905), Texas citrus (7 CFR part 906), Florida avocados (7 CFR part 915), California kiwifruit (7 CFR part 920), Washington cherries (7 CFR part 923), California desert grapes (7 CFR part 925), and Oregon/Washington pears (7 CFR part 927). It is noteworthy that Marketing Order 929 for Cranberries, which terminated on July 31, 2024, is not included in this renewal. The types of information gathered include data for selecting industry members to serve on marketing order boards or committees, ballots used in referenda to amend or continue a marketing order program, and forms related to supplies, shipments, and dispositions of the respective commodities. These forms are critical for the boards and committees to carry out their administrative duties and for AMS to ensure compliance with the Act.
Estimated Burden and Justification
AMS estimates the public reporting burden for this information collection to average 0.27 hours per response. The agency projects an estimated 3,172 respondents annually, resulting in a total of approximately 18,033 annual responses. The total estimated annual burden on respondents is calculated to be around 4,946.04 hours. These respondents include a broad range of industry participants: producers, handlers, processors, dehydrators, cooperatives, manufacturers, importers, and public members. AMS asserts that these information collection requirements are essential for carrying out the intent of the Agricultural Marketing Agreement Act of 1937, providing requested services to respondents, and effectively administering the various fruit marketing order programs. The collected information is primarily utilized by authorized employees of the respective commodity boards or committees for marketing decisions, with AMS serving as a secondary user for oversight and program enforcement.
Solicitation of Public Comments
In line with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, AMS is actively soliciting public comments on several key aspects of this information collection. Specifically, the agency is interested in feedback regarding: (1) whether the information collection is necessary for proper agency function and possesses practical utility (2) the accuracy of AMS's burden estimate, including its methodology and assumptions (3) potential ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information collected and (4) methods to minimize the burden on respondents, potentially through automated or other technological collection techniques. All submitted comments will be summarized, included in the request for OMB approval, and become part of the public record. This open comment period provides an important opportunity for stakeholders to influence the practical implementation of federal agricultural regulations.
