Approximately 71 percent more apparent violations of the U.S. Grain Standards Act were reported during the year than the preceding year. Most of the apparent violations involved the deceptive loading of grain. A total of 359 warnings were issued to shippers, inspectors, samplers, and exchanges; and three shippers were prosecuted for the deceptive loading of grain. (e) Increased volume of meat graded.-The amount of federally graded and accepted meat increased about 440 million pounds over 1961. All meat graders were trained during 1962 in the application of the proposed standards for the dual grading of beef. (f) The volume of poultry graded continued to increase as it has over the past 22 years. This increase reflects the ever-increasing acceptance and demand for officially graded chickens and turkeys. During 1962, continuous grading service was maintained in 670 plants located in 541 cities and towns throughout the United States. (g) Poultry inspection.—The compulsory poultry inspection program continues to increase in all phases. The year 1962 was the fourth full year of operation under the Poultry Products Inspection Act and in that period the program has almost tripled. In 1958 there were 356 plants under inspection and in 1962 there were 984. The growth in volume of work has been even greater-about 2 billion pounds inspected in 1958 and over 9 billion in 1962. This growth is due to several factors such as the increase in poultry production from 2.1 billion head in 1958 to 2.4 billion head in 1961; and the increase in percent of this production inspected from 31 percent in 1958 to 85 percent in 1961. Here again the evolution taking place in agricultural marketing affects the service. The vertical integration, formation of a few large companies in place of individual producers and handlers makes for more interstate shipment and, consequently, a larger volume of poultry to be inspected. TABLE II.-Commodities inspected and graded on a fee basis, fiscal years 1962-64 TABLE IV.-Cotton classing and related data, fiscal years 1962-64 TABLE V.-Volume of grain inspection (by licensed inspectors federally supervised) and appeal activities (by Federal inspectors) under the U.S. Grain Standards Act1 1 Users of this service pay a fee to the licensed inspector. No Federal fee is charged except in the case of appeal inspections when licensees' grades are not changed. 2 Not available. TABLE VI.-Tobacco NUMBER OF AUCTION MARKETS AND VOLUME OF TOBACCO INSPECTED UNDER THE TOBACCO INSPECTION ACT, FISCAL YEARS 1962-64 VOLUME OF TOBACCO INSPECTED, BY CLASS, FISCAL YEAR 1962 (h) Fees and charges are adjusted from time to time as necessary to cover the cost of the service. Revisions in 1962 and plans for 1963 are shown in the following table: Revisions in fees and charges, fiscal years 1962 and 1963 Nov. 1, 1962. Do. Do. 2. Dairy products: (a) Regrading of CCCowned butter and cheese. (b) Sampling of CCC owned dry milk. 3. Fruit and vegetables: (a) Inspection of fresh fruits and vegetables. (b) Inspection of processed fruits and vegetables. 4. Grain products: Seed Verification Service. 5. Meat products... 6. Poultry products: Voluntary poultry grading. 7. Naval stores... 4 fees decreased.... 25-percent (a) Hourly rates increased from $5...- $6 (b) Inspection for grade of less than $12. (c) Inspection for condition of less $10.. (d) Fees for supervision of State in- (b) Citrus under Florida code.................. (c) Raisins under Fresno agreement. (d) Pack certification increased from 10-percent 50-percent 11-percent All agreements to be changed by June 30, 1963. July 1, 1962. Do. (e) Commercial inspection increased (i) Estimated percentage of crop marketed under Federal grades is as follows: (j) Tables VII and VIII show, for 1962 and 1963, the total cost of the inspection, grading, classing, and standardization activity; the sources of financing; and the percentage of cost to the taxpayer and to the special beneficiary. (k) Plans for 1963. (1) Increased emphasis will be placed on development of standards which will more nearly meet the needs of current production and marketing practices. The continuing shift to mass buying and selling through large packinghouses and chainstore operations requires concurrent changes in criteria for trading. Effective mass distribution is dependent upon fairly standardized and uniform products. Large-scale buyers demand products packed within relatively narrow tolerances. Standards must be developed that are more realistic in view of current production facilities and buyers' needs; and inspection service must be provided which is in keeping with modern demands for accuracy, uniformity, and speed. (2) Training of inspectors and graders will be intensified. Improved training methods will be utilized wherever they are available and continuing study is planned to further develop improvements in training procedures. (3) Major emphasis will continue on further refinement and demonstration of the dual grading system for beef carcasses and slaughter cattle and extensive of this principle to feeder cattle, wholesale cuts of beef, and veal and calf carcasses. The development of proposed standards for grades of feeder swine and sheep also is planned. Specifications will be prepared for additional items in the series of institutional meat purchase specifications. The proposed revision of the standards for grades of raw wool will be published for comments of the industry, and the warehouse demonstration program will continue. (4) Work on export grades for poultry will be undertaken. These would be used in the voluntary grading program. (5) Beginning about the middle of October, to the extent facilities permit, airflow instrument tests of cotton samples submitted for Smith-Doxey classification are being made available to producers on a fee basis. Estimates of the number of samples on which these measurements will be made range from three-fourths to 11⁄2 million in the 1963 fiscal year. |