National Agricultural Statistics Service 2012 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

This notice announced the National Agricultural Statistic Service's intentions to seek OMB's approval to renew the Agricultural Prices information collection. The notice was published in the Federal Register on November 16, 2012.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this notice announces the intention of the National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) to request revision and extension of a currently approved information collection, the Vegetable Surveys Program. Revision to burden hours will be needed due to changes in the size of the target population, sampling design, and/or questionnaire length. Some of the vegetable production surveys will incorporate sampling of the total population of producers, while the processing surveys will involve a total enumeration of the entire population. Changes are being made to some of the questionnaires to accommodate changes in the industry and to make the questionnaires easier for the respondent to complete. This should help to reduce respondent burden and improve the overall response rates.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this notice announces the intention of the National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) to request revision and extension of a currently approved information collection, the List Sampling Frame Surveys. Revision to burden hours will be needed due to changes in the size of the target population, sampling design, and/or questionnaire length. Annually, NASS obtains lists of farm and ranch operators from different crop and livestock organizations. Historically we have averaged 500,000 potential new operators each year from these lists. Before adding these names to our list of active operators we will contact the operators to collect basic farming information from them on the size and type of operation. These data will be used to eliminate any duplication we may have with names already on our list. Since the 2012 Census of Agriculture will be conducted in 2013, the sample sizes for 2014 and 2015 will be greatly reduced. Additional questions may need to be added to the questionnaire during the next three years to accommodate any new trends or changes in the farming community that need to be identified (i.e. Organic farming, renewable energy production, expansion of acreage of alternative or specialty crops, etc.).

The National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS is currently accepting stakeholder feedback in the form of content requests for the 2013 Census of Aquaculture. This census is required by law under the ``Census of Agriculture Act of 1997,'' Public Law 105-113 (7 U.S.C. 2204g).

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this notice announces the intention of the National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) to seek approval to conduct a new information collection, the 2013 Residue and Biomass Field Survey.

In accordance with the Federal Advisory Committee Act, 5 U.S.C. App. 2, this notice announces an invitation from the Office of the Secretary of Agriculture for nominations to the Advisory Committee on Agriculture Statistics. On June 5, 2012, the Secretary of Agriculture renewed the Advisory Committee charter for a two-year term to expire on June 5, 2014. The purpose of the Committee is to advise the Secretary of Agriculture on the scope, timing, content, etc., of the periodic censuses and surveys of agriculture, other related surveys, and the types of information to obtain from respondents concerning agriculture. The Committee also prepares recommendations regarding the content of agriculture reports and presents the views and needs for data of major suppliers and users of agriculture statistics.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 this notice announces the intention of the National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) to request revision and extension of a currently approved information collection, the Stocks Reports. Revision to burden hours will be needed due to changes in the size of the target population, sampling design, and/or questionnaire length.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is seeking renewal of the 2-year charter for its discretionary committee, the Advisory Committee on Agriculture Statistics.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this notice announces the intent of the National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) to seek reinstatement of an information collection, the National Childhood Injury and Occupational Injury Survey of Farm Operators.

This notice announces the intention of the National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) to resume a currently approved information collection for bee and honey data and all associated reports.