Comments Requested on Food Priorities for Crises

WASHINGTON (CN) – The Farm Service Agency requests public comment on newly proposed regulations for controlling production, processing, storage, and wholesale distribution of food during national defense and civil emergencies.     The Agriculture Priorities and Allocations System regulations will control how the U.S. Department of Agriculture is to respond to requests to place priority ratings on contracts, or orders of agriculture commodities up through the wholesale levels for agriculture production and equipment, allocate resources, and handle food claims as specified in the Defense Production, if the necessity arises.     The regulations also will direct agriculture commodities and resources to areas of hardship or potential hardship due to national emergencies.      In most cases, there is likely to be no economic impact in filling priority orders because it would generally just be changing the timing in which orders are completed, according to the agency.Comments must be received by Julyy 18.Click the document icon for this regulation and others.