Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request, 12144-12145 [2014-04713]

Agencies

• DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 42 (Tuesday, March 4, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 12144-12145]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-04713]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE


Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request

Dated: February 20, 2014.
    The Department of Agriculture has submitted the following 
information collection requirement(s) to OMB for review and clearance 
under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, Public Law 104-13. Comments 
regarding (a) whether the collection of information is necessary for 
the proper performance of the functions of the agency, including 
whether the information will have practical utility; (b) the accuracy 
of the agency's estimate of burden including the validity of the 
methodology and assumptions used; (c) ways to enhance the quality, 
utility and clarity of the information to be collected; (d) ways to 
minimize the burden of the collection of information on those who are 
to respond, including through the use of appropriate automated, 
electronic, mechanical or other technological collection techniques or 
other forms of information technology.
    Comments regarding this information collection received by April 3, 
2014 will be considered. Written comments should be addressed to: Desk 
Officer for Agriculture, Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, 
Office of Management and Budget (OMB), New Executive Office Building, 
725--17th Street NW., Washington, DC 20503. Commenters are encouraged 
to submit their comments to OMB via email to: OIRA_Submission@omb.eop.gov or fax (202) 395-5806 and to Departmental 
Clearance Office, USDA, OCIO, Mail Stop 7602, Washington, DC 20250-
7602. Copies of the submission(s) may be obtained by calling (202) 720-
8681.
    An agency may not conduct or sponsor a collection of information 
unless the collection of information displays a currently valid OMB 
control number and the agency informs potential persons who are to 
respond to the collection of information that such persons are not 
required to respond to the collection of information unless it displays 
a currently valid OMB control number.

National Agricultural Statistics Service

    Title: Aquaculture Survey.
    OMB Control Number: 0535-0150.
    Summary of Collection: The primary function of the National 
Agricultural Statistics Service is to estimate production and stocks of 
agricultural food, fiber, and specialty commodities. Congress has 
mandated the collection of basic data for aquaculture and provides 
funding for these surveys. Public Law 96-362 was passed to increase the 
overall effectiveness and productivity of federal aquaculture programs 
by improving coordination and communication among Federal agencies 
involved in those programs. Aquaculture is an alternative method to 
produce a high protein, low fat product demanded by the consumer. 
Aquiculture surveys provide information on trout and catfish inventory, 
acreage and sales as well as catfish processed.
    Need and Use of the Information: The survey results are useful in 
analyzing changing trends in the number of commercial operations and 
production levels by State. The information collected is used to 
demonstrate the growing importance of aquaculture to officials of 
Federal and State government agencies who manage and direct policy over 
programs in agriculture and natural resources. The type of information 
collected and reported provides extension educators and research 
scientists with data that indicates important areas that require 
special educational and/or research efforts, such as causes for loss of 
fish and pond inventories of fish of various sizes. The data gathered 
from the various reports provide information to establish contract 
levels for fishing programs and to evaluate prospective loans to 
growers and processors.
    Description of Respondents: Farms; Business or other for-profit.
    Number of Respondents: 2,955.
    Frequency of Responses: Reporting: Monthly; Semi-annually; 
Annually.
    Total Burden Hours: 961.

National Agriculture Statistics Service

    Title: Agricultural Surveys Program.
    OMB Control Number: 0535-0213.
    Summary of Collection: National Agriculture Statistics Service 
(NASS) primary functions are to prepare and issue state and national 
estimates of crop and livestock production and collect information on 
related environmental and economic factors. The Agricultural Surveys 
Program is a series of surveys that contains basic agricultural data 
from farmers and ranchers throughout the Nation for preparing 
agricultural estimates and forecasts. The surveys results provide the 
foundation for setting livestock and poultry inventory numbers. 
Estimates derived from the surveys supply information needed by farmers 
to make decisions for both short and long-term planning. The General 
authority for these data collection is granted under U.S. Code Title 7, 
Section 2204.
    Need and Use of the Information: The surveys provide the basis for 
estimates of the current season's crop and livestock production and 
supplies of grain in storage. Crop and livestock statistics help 
develop a stable economic atmosphere and reduce risk for production, 
marketing, and distribution operations. These commodities affect the 
well being of the nation's farmers, commodities markets, and national 
and global agricultural policy. Users of agricultural statistics are 
farm organizations, agribusiness, state and national farm policy 
makers, and foreign buyers of agricultural products but the primary 
user of the statistical information is the producer. Agricultural 
statistics are also used to plan and administer other related federal 
and state programs in such areas as school lunch program, conservation, 
foreign trade, education, and recreation. Collecting the information 
less frequent would eliminate needed data to keep the government and 
agricultural industry abreast of changes at the state and national 
levels.
    Description of Respondents: Farms.
    Number of Respondents: 532,800.
    Frequency of Responses: Reporting: Quarterly; Semi-annually; 
Monthly; Annually.
    Total Burden Hours: 200,855.

National Agricultural Statistics Service

    Title: Equine Survey.
    OMB Control Number: 0535-0227.
    Summary of Collection: General authority for these data collection 
activities is granted under U.S.C. Title 7, Section 2204. The primary 
objective of the National Agricultural Statistics

[[Page 12145]]

Service (NASS) is to prepare and issue current official State and 
national estimates of crop and livestock production, disposition, and 
prices. Services such as statistical consultation, data collection, 
summary tabulation, and analysis are performed for other Federal and 
State agencies on a reimbursable basis as the need arises. Equine 
surveys have previously been conducted in fifteen States where equine 
is a significant portion of their agriculture. The results are used to 
provide an assessment of the equine industry's contribution to the 
State's economy in terms of infrastructure and value.
    Need and Use of the Information: NASS will collect information on 
equine inventories, by category; equine revenue, by activity; and 
equine related expenditures, by purpose. In addition, these surveys 
will provide NASS with names and addresses of equine operations that 
can be used for Census of Agriculture enumeration and for the NASS 
program that seeks to cover 99 percent of U.S. agricultural cash 
receipts.
    Description of Respondents: Farms.
    Number of Respondents: 91,000.
    Frequency of Responses: Reporting: One-time.
    Total Burden Hours: 14,537.

Charlene Parker,
Departmental Information Collection Clearance Officer.
[FR Doc. 2014-04713 Filed 3-3-14; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-20-P