Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request, 31127-31129 [2024-08704]

Agencies

• DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 80 (Wednesday, April 24, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 31127-31129]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-08704]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE


Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request

    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.
    Comments regarding these information collections are best assured 
of having their full effect if received by May 24, 2024. Written 
comments and recommendations for the proposed information collection 
should be submitted within 30 days of the publication of this notice on 
the following website www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain. Find this 
particular information collection by selecting ``Currently under 30-day 
Review--Open for Public Comments'' or by using the search function.
    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

[[Page 31128]]

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: Vegetable Surveys--Substantive Change.
    OMB Control Number: 0535-0037.
    Summary of Collection: The primary function of the National 
Agricultural Statistics (NASS) is to prepare and issue current official 
state and national estimates of crop and livestock production, prices 
and disposition. The Vegetable Surveys Program obtains basic 
agricultural statistics for fresh market and processing vegetables in 
major producing States. The vegetable program has two types of 
utilization: some crops are processing only, some are fresh market 
only, and others are dual crops (both processing and fresh market). The 
vegetable program surveys growers, who are contacted in November and 
asked to report acres planted and harvested, quantity of vegetables 
produced, and how much of their crop was sold through fresh markets or 
for processing along with the correlating prices.
    The National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) is requesting a 
substantive change to the Vegetable Surveys information collection 
request (OMB No. 0535-0037) for program changes. Every five years NASS 
conducts a program review following the completion of the Census of 
Agriculture. The program changes balance resources across all of the 
programs included in the annual estimating program, which represents 
over 400 individual reports across multiple Information Collection 
Requests (ICRs). This substantive change is to accommodate the 
vegetable program changes that affect this ICR. The methodology, 
publication dates, burden and data collection plan do not change as 
result of these program changes.
    Need and Use of the Information: NASS will collect information to 
estimate acreage intended to plant, acreage planted, acreage harvested, 
yield/production, price, and utilization for the various crops. The 
estimates provide vital statistics for growers, processors, and 
marketers to use in making production and marketing decisions.
    Description of Respondents: Farms.
    Number of Respondents: 11,140.
    Frequency of Responses: Annually; Other (seasonally).
    Total Burden Hours: 4,998.

National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS)

    Title: Objective Yield Surveys--Substantive Change.
    OMB Control Number: 0535-0088.
    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 primary functions of the National Agricultural Statistics 
Services' (NASS) are to prepare and issue State and national estimates 
of crop and livestock production, disposition, and prices and to 
collect information on related environmental and economic factors. The 
Field Crops Production Program consists of probability field crops 
surveys and supplemental panel surveys. These surveys are extremely 
valuable for commodities where acreage and yield are published at the 
county level. NASS will use surveys to collect information through a 
combination of the internet, mail, telephone, and personnel interviews. 
The general authority for these data collection activities is granted 
under U.S. Code title 7, section 2204.
    The National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) is requesting a 
substantive change to the Field Crops Production information collection 
request (OMB No. 0535-0088) for program changes. Every five years NASS 
conducts a program review following the completion of the Census of 
Agriculture. The program changes in this change request balance 
resources across all of the programs included in the annual estimating 
program ensuring NASS' annual statistical program aligns with its 
appropriation. This substantive change is to accommodate the field crop 
program changes that affect this ICR. The changes in this request 
decreases burden hours.
    Need and Use of The Information: Sample fields are randomly 
selected for these crops, plots are laid out, and periodic counts and 
measurements are taken and then used to forecast production during the 
growing season. Production forecasts are published in USDA crop 
reports. The estimates provide vital statistics for growers, 
processors, and marketers to use in making production and marketing 
decisions.
    Description of Respondents: Farms.
    Number of Respondents: 12,550.
    Frequency of Responses: Reporting: Annually, Monthly.
    Total Burden Hours: 4,062.

National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS)

    Title: Agricultural Surveys Program--Substantive Change.
    OMB Control Number: 0535-0213.
    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 National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) is requesting a 
substantive change to the Agricultural Surveys Program information 
collection request (OMB No. 0535-0213) for program changes. Every five 
years NASS conducts a program review following the completion of the 
Census of Agriculture. The program changes in this change request 
balance resources across all of the programs included in the annual 
estimating program ensuring NASS' annual statistical program aligns 
with its appropriation. This substantive change is to accommodate the 
livestock program changes that affect this ICR. The changes in this 
request decreases burden hours.
    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,

[[Page 31129]]

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 and Ranches.
    Number of Respondents: 491,600.
    Frequency of Responses: Reporting: Quarterly; Semi-annually; 
Monthly; Annually.
    Total Burden Hours: 178,479.

Levi S. Harrell,
Departmental Information Collection Clearance Officer.
[FR Doc. 2024-08704 Filed 4-23-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-20-P