Summary: The Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) will maintain user fees for cotton producers for 2007 crop cotton classification services under the Cotton Statistics and Estimates Act at the same level as in 2006. The fee is calculated in accordance with the formula provided in the Uniform Cotton Classing Fees Act of 1987.
The 2006 user fee for this classification service was $1.85 per bale. This rule would maintain the fee for the 2007 crop at $1.85 per bale. The fee and the existing reserve are sufficient to cover the costs of providing classification services, including costs for administration and supervision.
DATES: Effective Date: July 1, 2007.
Supplementary Information: A proposed rule detailing the revisions was published in the Federal Register on April 19, 2007 (72 FR 19674). A 15-day comment period was provided for interested persons to respond to the proposed rule. During the 15-day comment period, one comment was received.
A comment was received from a producers association in support of the proposed rule, the continued use of the legislative formula for establishing the cotton user fees, and the cotton classing services provided.