Amendments to the Peanut Poundage Quota Regulations

This final rule adopts, with certain modifications, the interim rule published in the Federal Register on July 16, 1996 (61 FR 36997), which set forth regulations for Federal farm peanut poundage quotas. These regulations implement the provisions of the Agricultural Market Transition Act of 1996 (1996 Act) for the 1996 through 2002 crops of peanuts. The amendments adopted in this final rule principally involve the following issues: eliminating the national poundage quota floor; eliminating the undermarketing carryover provisions; establishing temporary seed quota allocations; establishing the ineligibility of certain farms for quota allocation; authorizing the intercounty transfer of farm poundage quotas in all States, subject to certain limitations in some States; eliminating the special allocations of increased quotas for certain Texas counties; establishing new provisions for ``considered produced'' credit with respect to a farm whose quota has been transferred; and other minor clarifying and technical changes. These regulations are required by the Agricultural Adjustment Act of 1938, as amended (1938 Act). The modifications made in this final rule to 7 CFR part 729 have been made after consideration of public comments. In addition, this rule makes a technical change concerning the application of special sanctions in connection with certain drug- related offenses.