Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request, 65776 [2019-25863]

Agencies

• DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 230 (Friday, November 29, 2019)]
[Notices]
[Page 65776]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-25863]


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Notices
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Federal Register / Vol. 84, No. 230 / Friday, November 29, 2019 / 
Notices

[[Page 65776]]



DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE


Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request

November 25, 2019.
    The Department of Agriculture will submit the following information 
collection requirement(s) to OMB for review and clearance under the 
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, Public Law 104-13 on or after the date 
of publication of this notice. Comments are requested regarding: (1) 
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; (2) the accuracy of the 
agency's estimate of burden including the validity of the methodology 
and assumptions used; (3) ways to enhance the quality, utility and 
clarity of the information to be collected; and (4) 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 should be addressed to: Desk 
Officer for Agriculture, Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, 
Office of Management and Budget (OMB), New Executive Office Building, 
Washington, DC; New Executive Office Building, 725 17th Street NW, 
Washington, DC, 20503. Commenters are encouraged to submit their 
comments to OMB via email to: [email protected] or fax (202) 
395-5806 and to Departmental Clearance Office, USDA, OCIO, Mail Stop 
7602, Washington, DC 20250-7602.
    Comments regarding these information collections are best assured 
of having their full effect if received by December 30, 2019. 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 (NASS)

    Title: Minnesota Pesticide & Fertilizer Survey--Substantive Change
    OMB Control Number: 0535-0218
    Summary of Collection: General authority for these data collection 
activities is granted under U.S. Code Title 7, Section 2204 which 
specifies that ``The Secretary of Agriculture shall procure and 
preserve all information concerning agriculture which he can obtain . . 
. by the collection of statistics . . .''. The primary objective of the 
National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) is to provide data 
users with timely and reliable agricultural production and economic 
statistics, as well as environmental and specialty agricultural related 
statistics. To accomplish this objective, NASS relies on the use of 
diverse surveys that show changes within the farming industry over 
time.
    The Minnesota Pesticide and Fertilizer Survey is a data collection 
entirely funded by the Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA). The 
annual project is requested by the Minnesota Department of Agriculture 
to fulfill its mission under MN Statute 103H.151 where the MDA is 
required to monitor the effectiveness of Best Management Practices 
(BMPs) developed by the Department. It states, ``The commissioner of 
agriculture, in consultation with local water planning authorities, 
shall develop best management practices for agricultural chemicals and 
practices'' and ``shall, through field audits and other appropriate 
means, monitor the use and effectiveness of best management practices 
developed and promoted under this section.'' This survey series is the 
monitoring method.
    Target commodities rotate each year depending on the cooperator's 
data needs and to avoid targeting the same commodities on the 
Federally-funded Agricultural Resource Management Survey Phase II. The 
target commodities for crop year 2019 will be corn and soybeans.
    Additional questions will be added for insecticide, fertilizer, and 
manure management practices for the crop year 2019 corn and soybean 
crops. Management data will be collected for the largest corn and 
largest soybean fields, without manure use. New soil sampling questions 
are asked for all respondents.
    The objective is to understand the decision making process when 
farmers decide to spray insecticides, apply fertilizer and manure to 
corn and soybean crops.
    This substantive change resulted in an average of about five 
additional minutes to each questionnaire with no change in sample size. 
With the same sample size of approximately 8,400 respondents for the 
survey, the net increase in respondent burden is 560 hours above the 
currently approved total.
    Need and Use of the Information: The additional information is 
requested by the Minnesota Department of Agriculture to fulfill its 
mission under MN Statute 103H.151 where the MDA is required to monitor 
the effectiveness of Best Management Practices (BMPs) developed by the 
Department. It states, ``The commissioner of agriculture, in 
consultation with local water planning authorities, shall develop best 
management practices for agricultural chemicals and practices'' and 
``shall, through field audits and other appropriate means, monitor the 
use and effectiveness of best management practices developed and 
promoted under this section.''
    Description of Respondents: Farms.
    Number of Respondents: 8,400.
    Frequency of Responses: Reporting: Once.
    Total Burden Hours: 3,416.

Ruth Brown,
Departmental Information Collection Clearance Officer.
[FR Doc. 2019-25863 Filed 11-27-19; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3410-20-P