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tion of available supplies of these commodities; make recommendations of action with respect to maximum price regulations; make recommendations to effect economies and improvements in the storage, transportation, processing, and marketing of these commodities; work with and represent the Branch on advisory committees; administer food orders; cooperate with industry and other agencies of the Department in developing new and substitute products and processes and new uses; render assistance in labor supply and utilization in commodity processing and distribution industries; develop and present program information; and render technical advice and assistance on storage and warehouse services and facilities, charges and priorities.

Supervises

(2) Inspection Division. the inspection of grain under the United States Grain Standards Act; conducts the appeal service on grain; inspects and supervises the inspection of hay and straw, beans and peas, rice, hops, and other authorized agricultural products; negotiates cooperative agreements with other Federal agencies, State agencies, and trade organizations for the establishment and operation of inspection services; organizes and conducts demonstrations to insure the correct and uniform application of grades and standards; cooperates with producers and handlers in developing improved marketing practices designed to avoid waste and degrading of crops when presented for inspection at market centers; conducts courses of training for hay-inspector applicants; conducts examinations incident to the licensing of inspectors; issues or recommends the issuance of licenses; directs investigations of violations of the act and regulations, and recommends appropriate action to be taken; and in cooperation with the Food and Drug Administration develops programs designed to prevent the mixing of out-of-condition grain with grain of higher quality intended for human consumption.

(3) Market News and Services Division. Issues weekly, monthly, quarterly, and yearly and special reports on market supplies, distribution, and prices of grain, hay, seed, rice, hops, and dry beans; issues market reviews of feeding ratios, and the relationship of grain and feed prices; develops and carries out cooperative agreements with other Government

agencies, and State, local, and commercial concerns in the collection and dissemination of market news; and compiles and keeps current, historical and basic data in connection with the commodity activities of the Branch.

(4) Seed Act Division. Plans, develops, and directs the sampling and testing of agricultural and vegetable seed imported and in interstate commerce to determine compliance with the provisions of the Federal Seed Act and the handling of seed rejected for importation; directs the inspection of the labeling of agricultural and vegetable seeds to determine compliance with the provisions of the Federal Seed Act; based on a review of evidence of alleged violations, recommends and initiates action to be taken; prepares and issues warnings; performs analyses and tests to determine the identity of seed, purity content, and variety and germination of seed; in cooperation with seed dealers and seed associations verifies, by maintenance, supervision and inspection of records, the origin of alfalfa and red clover seed to assist shippers, dealers, and consumers in the purchase of kown origin seed; performs a sampling and testing service to determine the dockage in forage seeds to assist dealers in arriving at a fair and equitable value of the seed; develops new or improved methods, techniques, and equipment for the purpose of determining germination, purity, and variety of agricultural and vegetable seed for seeding purposes and the quality of screenings and unclean seed; maintains contacts and working relationships with the various States, associations, colleges and other Federal agencies to promote uniformity of State seed laws and inspection, noxious-weedseed restriction, seed-certification procedure, etc.; and cooperates with associations, the seed industry, other Government bureaus, States, and foreign governments in conducting schools and disseminating information to develop uniformity in seed analyses and testing methods.

(5) Standardization Research and Testing Division. Conducts research on the standardization of all commodities except seed assigned to the Branch; develops additional or improved standards; develops equipment for testing or grading commodities assigned to the Branch; tests equipment and methods developed by others and evaluates such equipment and techniques; develops specifications

for use in procurement by Federal agencies; conducts cereal research; in cooperation with other agencies develops additional or improved testing methods for new varieties of grain or new marketing practices; tests and analyzes all factors used in the standardization research and regulatory work of the Branch; and performs, directs and supervises technical work of testing commodities purchased by this Branch and as assigned by other branches.

§ 2306.2 Field offices—(a) Merchandising offices. Offices are located at 208 South La Salle Street, Chicago 4, Illinois; 212 West 14th Street, Kansas City 8, Missouri; 328 McKnight Building, Minneapolis 1, Minnesota; and 515 SW. Tenth Street, Portland 5, Oregon. These offices handle field work connected with loan, purchase, subsidy, diversion, export, price-support, processing, distribution, sale, surplus-disposal, commodity-handling, shipping and storage programs on grains. Information on the programs of each office is available on request from the Director of each office or from the Director, Grain Branch, Production and Marketing Administration, United States Department of Agriculture, Washington 25, D. C.

(b) United States Grain Standards Act field offices. (1) A General Field Headquarters office is located at 1108 Post Office Building, Chicago 7, Illinois, and a Pacific Coast Headquarters office at 345 U. S. Court House, Portland 5, Oregon. These offices direct the operations of the district field headquarters offices in supervising the inspection of grain by licensed inspectors; maintain efficiency records of the licensees; check the intermarket uniformity of inspections; and investigate irregularities in the inspection and merchandising of grain under the act and recommend appropriate action. There is located at each of these offices a Board of Grain Supervisors which interprets the official standards and handles appeals from decisions by district supervisors on the grade of grain by licensed inspectors. (2) Field offices are maintained as headquarters of districts comprising defined areas (10 F. R. 7839). The location of these offices, by States, together with suboffices where indicated, is as follows:

California: 1534 Post Office Building, Los Angeles 12; and 749 New Appraisers Building, 630 Sansome Street, San Francisco, 11; Colorado: 573 U. S. Custom House, Denver 2;

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Illinois: 1204 Post Office Building, Chicago 7, with suboffice 3025 E. 92d Street, Chicago; and 355 Post Office Building, Peoria 2, with suboffice 324 Standard Office Building, Decatur; Indiana: 523 Federal Building, 201 North Meridian Street, Indianoplis 4; Iowa: 200 Post Office Building, Cedar Rapids; and 208 Post Office Building, Sioux City 16; Kansas: 507 Wheeler-Kelly-Hagny Building. Wichita 2, with suboffice 200-A Post Office

Building, Hutchinson; Kentucky: 301 Post Office Building, Louisville 2; Louisiana: 333 St. Charles Street, Room 1401, New Orleans 12; Maryland: 801 U. S. Appraisers Stores Building, Baltimore 2; Massachusetts: 701-A U. S. Custom House, Boston 9; Minnesota: 338 Post Office Building, Duluth 2; and 116 Federal Office Building, Minneapolis 1; Missouri: 325 U. S. Court House, Kansas City 6; 331 Post Office Building, St. Joseph 54; and 1001 U. S. Court and Custom House, St. Louis 1; Montana: 251 Post Office Building, Great Falls; Nebraska: 506 Omaha Grain Exchange Building, Omaha 2; New York: 340 Post Office Building, Buffalo 3; and 225 Broadway, Room 3703, New York 7, with suboffices 342 New Post Office Building, Albany 1, and 225 Post Office Building, Hoboken, New Jersey; Ohio: 509 Post Office Building, Cincinnati 2; and 639 Edison Building, Madison and Superior Streets, Toledo 4; Oklahoma: 319 Post Office Building, Enid; Oregon: 525 Post Office Building, Portland 9, with suboffice Vancouver, Washington; Pennsylvaħia: 1002 U. S. Custom House, Philadelphia 6; Tennessee: 104 DeSoto Post Office Building, Memphis 3; and 319 Chamber of Commerce Building, 311 4th Avenue North, Nashville 3; Texas: 404 U. S. Court House, Fort Worth 2; and 216 Post Office Building, Galveston; Utah: 314 Post Office Building, Ogden; Washington: 622 Federal Office Building, Seattle 4, with suboffice 412 Post Office Building, Tacoma 2; and 415 Post Office Building, Spokane 8; Wisconsin: 642 Post Office Building, Milwaukee 2.

These offices supervise the inspection of grain by inspectors licensed by the Secretary and handle appeals from inspections made by the licensees. They also assist in enforcing the provisions of the act which are designed to prevent fraud and misrepresentation in the merchandising of grain and serve as a source of information regarding the requirements of the act, the regulations thereunder, and the official grain standards of the United States.

The licensed inspectors are located at important grain-marketing centers. Their names and addresses and the kinds of grain for which they are licensed may be obtained from the district field offices.

(c) Market Inspection of Farm Products Field Offices. The inspection of beans and peas, hay and straw, hops, rice, and seeds for (1) dockage and (2) veri

fication of origin is performed upon request of interested parties. Inspections are made by authorized employees of the Department of Agriculture or by qualified persons licensed by the Secretary for this purpose. Licensed inspectors are employed under cooperative agreements with States and trade organizations. Field offices where inspections are made, from which licensed inspectors are supervised, and where information regarding the location of licensees may be obtained by commodities are as follows:

Beans and Peas. In California, Colorado, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Maryland, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Texas, Utah, Washington, and Wisconsin at one or more of the United States Grain Standards Act field offices in each of these States as described in paragraph (b) above. Field headquarters offices at 1108 Post Office Building, Chicago 7, Illinois, and 345 U.S. Court House, Portland 5, Oregon, interpret the standards and handle appeals from original inspections.

Hay and Straw. In California, Colorado, Illinois, Maryland, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New York, Oregon, Texas, and Washington at one or more of the United States Grain Standards Act field offices in each of these States as described in paragraph (b) above.

In Georgia: 449 W. Peachtree Street, Atlanta 3.

Hops. Oregon: 345 U. S. Court House, Portland 5.

Rice. In California and Louisiana at the United States Grain Standards Act field offices as described in paragraph (b) above, and in Louisiana at suboffices, Railroad Avenue and S. Main Street, Abbeville; Duson Building, Crowley; and 102 Mill Street, Lake Charles.

Seeds for Dockage and Verification of Origin. In Illinois, Minnesota, and Missouri at one of the United States Grain Standards Act field offices in each of these States as described in paragraph (b) above.

(d) Federal Seed Act field offices. Offices are located at 515 Dexter Avenue, Montgomery 1, Alabama; State Office Building No. 1, Sacramento 14, California; 116 Federal Office Building, Minneapolis 1, Minnesota; 325 U. S. Court House, Kansas City 6, Missouri; Agricultural Experiment Station, Corvallis, Oregon (import work only).

Under the immediate supervision of the Seed Act Division these field offices enforce the interstate provisions of the act by receiving and investigating complaints involving interstate shipments of seed and enforce the import provisions of the act by receiving from customs officials for testing samples representing imports and then issuing admission or rejection notices.

(e) Market News Service field offices. Offices are located at 304 Wholesale Terminal Building, Los Angeles 21, California, for hay, feed, and beans; 630 Sansome Street, 731 New Appraisers Building, San Francisco 11, California, for grain, hay, feed, hops, beans, and rice; 449 W. Peachtree Street N. E., Atlanta 3, Georgia, for grain, hay, and feed; 1204 Post Office Building, Chicago 7, Illinois, for grain and feed; 116 Federal Office Building, Minneapolis 1, Minnesota, for grain, feed, and flaxseed; 325 U. S. Court House, Kansas City 6, Missouri, for grain, hay, and feed; 345 U. S. Court House, Portland 5, Oregon, for grain, hay, feed, hops, and seed.

Under the immediate supervision of the Market News and Services Division, acting in accordance with authority contained in the Agricultural Appropriation Act, these offices collect, compile and analyze data on stocks, production, movement and utilization of grain, grain byproduct feeds, oilseed meals, animal protein feeds, alfalfa meal, alfalfa and prairie hay, rice, beans, hops, and cover-crop seeds. This material is incorporated in daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly, and seasonal market reviews or summaries which are released for radio and press dissemination and for distribution in mimeographed form to farmers, feeders, and other agricultural interests.

§ 2306.3 Availability of information and records. Any person desiring information or to make submittals or requests with respect to the programs and functions of the Branch should address: The Director, Grain Branch, Production and Marketing Administration, United States Department of Agriculture, Washington 25, D. C. The records of the Branch, including those maintained in the field offices, are available for examination in accordance with the rules and designation of records issued by the Secretary (Part 2100 of this chapter).

Subpart B-Functions and Procedures

§ 2306.10 Commodity loans. The Agricultural Adjustment Act of 1938 (48 Stat. 31, as amended, 50 Stat. 246; 7 U. S. C. 601 et seq.) authorizes and directs the Commodity Credit Corporation to make loans on the basic commodities of wheat, rice, and corn. The making of loans on nonbasic commodities is also authorized (sec. 4, 55 Stat. 498, as amended; 15 U.S.C.; Sup., 713a-8). The announcement and rules relating to loan programs, approved by the Secretary and Board of Directors of Commodity Credit Corporation, are issued annually. Loans are available to eligible producers on application. to County Agricultural Conservation offices of the Field Service Branch (Part 2324 of this chapter) in the areas where loans are available, and the borrower may obtain from such offices the names of local lending agencies (local banks, cooperative marketing associations, corporations or others) which will make disbursements on his loan papers. Producers who wish to make a loan direct with Commodity Credit Corporation may do so by writing to the Director of the merchandising office of the Grain Branch nearest to him. The addresses of these offices are listed in § 2306.2.

§ 2306.11 Purchase programs. With the approval of the Board of Directors of the Commodity Credit Corporation and the Secretary, grain and its products are purchased either to support prices and/or to fill requisitions of requesting agencies and governments. Purchases may be made on the basis of announcement and offer to buy, by bid, by direct negotiation, by open-market purchases or on such other basis as may best achieve the desired result. The type and character of purchase operation varies with the programs, and additional information may be obtained from the Director, Grain Branch, Production and Marketing Administration, United States Department of Agriculture, Washington 25, D. C.

§ 2306.12 Sales programs. Sales programs fall in two general classes: surplus sales and regular program sales.

(a) Surplus sales. Commodities referred to the Branch for disposal as surplus are sold in accordance with the regulations governing the disposal of surplus commodities and on the basis of public announcement and offer to sell in the order of priority classification.

(b) Regular program sales. Commodities are acquired through purchase programs specifically authorizing the acquisition of commodities for subsequent sale, through price-supporting operations, or through default of borrowers on loans. Commodities purchased to fill requisitions of requesting agencies are sold on the basis of the agreement covering such purchase and sale. Other commodities are sold on the basis of public announcement or on the open market.

§ 2306.13 Commodity services and facilities. Services and facilities required to carry out program operations are procured in accordance with custom and usage governing the particular transaction. Storage is contracted for on the basis of a Uniform Warehouse Agreement; commodities are moved through the use of commercial billing; drayage, weighing, handling, sampling, and inspection services are all procured in the usual manner. Information on any of these activities may be obtained from the Director of any of the four merchandising offices (§ 2306.2).

§ 2306.14 United States Grain Standards Act. (a) The United States Grain Standards Act (39 Stat. 482, as amended; 7 U.S.C. 71 et seq.) provides for service and regulatory activities. Under its terms the Secretary of Agriculture is authorized to fix and establish standards for grains. Official standards (7 CFR, Part 26) have been promulgated under the act for wheat, corn, barley, oats, feed oats, mixed feed oats, rye, grain sorghums, flaxseed, soybeans, and mixed grain.

(b) Following the promulgation of standards for any grain, the act requires that such grain must be inspected, graded, and certificated according to the official standards when it is merchanised by grade in interstate or foreign commerce from or to an inspection point. The primary inspection of grain is performed by inspectors who are employees of State and trade association inspection departments and in some cases by independent inspectors who work on a fee basis, all of whom are licensed by the Secretary of Agriculture.

(c) Regulations under the act have been promulgated by the Secretary (7 CFR, Part 26) which outline the procedure for licensing inspectors, the method of obtaining appeals, the fees charged for appeals and restrictions on

the merchandizing of grain under the act.

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§ 2306.15 Inspection of beans and peas, hay and straw, hops, rice, and seed. The inspection and grading of these commodities is conducted under thority contained in the Market Inspection of Farm Products item of the appropriation act for agriculture. Inspections under this authority are performed upon request of interested parties. Standards have been issued under this authority for (1) beans, peas, split-peas and lentils; (2) the principal kinds of hay and straw; and (3) rough rice, brown rice, and milled rice. Instructions and procedure have been issued in lieu of standards (1) for the inspection of hops for leaves and stems and for seeds; (2) for the determination of dockage in timothy and sweet clover seed; and (3) for the verification of the origin of alfalfa and red clover seed. Rules and regulations governing each of these services have been promulgated by the Secretary (7 CFR, Parts 57-60, 62, 66). These regulations are the guide to the development and use of these services including the training and licensing of inspectors, handling of appeals, and the establishment and collection of fees.

(a) The

§ 2306.16 Federal Seed Act. Federal Seed Act of August 9, 1939 (53 Stat. 1275, as amended; 7 U.S.C. and Sup., 1551 et seq.) provides for the regulation of interestate and foreign commerce in agricultural and vegetable seeds; requires labeling and prohibits misrepresentation of seeds in interstate commerce; requires that imported seeds meet certain standards. Rules and regulations are promulgated by the Secretary of Agriculture under certain provisions of the act and joint regulations by the Secretary of Agriculture and the Secretary of the Treasury under the import provisions of the act.

(b) The act requires specified labeling, prohibits false advertising, and incorporates requirements of State seed laws with respect to noxious-weed seeds. The import provisions of the act provide for limitations on the percentage of pure live seed, the weed-seed percentage, and the number of noxious-weed seeds present in seed before allowing its entry into the United States. The act also requires the staining of alfalfa and red clover seed of foreign origin.

(c) The act provides for administrative proceedings and criminal action against violators and seizure of seed found to be falsely labeled. The act requires that notice of judgments and cease and desist orders be published.

§ 2306.17 Permits for ex-quota importation of wheat and flour. Proclamation 2550 of April 13, 1942 (3 CFR Cum. Supp.), authorizes the importation of certified seed wheat and of wheat and wheat flour for experimental and scientific purposes upon written approval of the Secretary or his designated representative. Applications for such importation of wheat or wheat flour for experimental or scientific purposes should be addressed to the Chief, Standardization Research and Testing Division, Grain Branch, Production and Marketing Administration, United States Department of Agriculture, Washington 25, D. C. Application for importation of certified seed wheat should be addressed to the Chief, Seed Act Division, Grain Branch, Production and Marketing Administration, United States Department of Agriculture, Washington 25, D. C. PART 2307-LIVESTOCK BRANCH

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