[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 77 (Monday, April 22, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Pages 23737-23738]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-09383]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Agricultural Marketing Service
[Doc. No. AMS-LS-13-0017]
Request for Extension and Revision of a Currently Approved
Information Collection for Commodities Covered by the Livestock
Mandatory Act of 1999
AGENCY: Agricultural Marketing Service, USDA.
ACTION: Request for comments.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44
U.S.C. Chapter 35), this document announces the Agricultural Marketing
Service's (AMS) intention to request approval, from the Office of
Management and Budget, for an extension of and revision to the
currently approved information collection used to compile and generate
cattle, swine, lamb, wholesale pork, and boxed beef market news reports
under the Livestock Mandatory Reporting Act of 1999.
DATES: Comments on this document must be received by June 21, 2013 to
be assured of consideration.
ADDRESSES: Interested persons are invited to submit comments concerning
this information collection document. Comments should be submitted
online at www.regulations.gov or sent to Kim Harmon, Assistant to the
Director, Livestock, Poultry and Grain Market News Division, Livestock,
Poultry and Seed Program, Agricultural Marketing Service, U.S.
Department of Agriculture, 1400 Independence Ave. SW., Room 2619-S,
Washington, DC 20250-0252, or by facsimile to (202) 690-3732. All
comments should reference the docket number (AMS-LS-13-0017), the date,
and the page number of this issue of the Federal Register. All comments
received will be posted without change, including any personal
information provided, online at http://
[[Page 23738]]
www.regulations.gov and will be made available for public inspection at
the above physical address during regular business hours.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Kim Harmon at the above physical
address, by telephone (202) 720-8054, or by email at
[email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Title: Livestock Mandatory reporting Act of 1999.
OMB Number: 0581-0186.
Expiration Date of Approval: December 31, 2013.
Type of Request: Extension of a currently approved information
collection.
Abstract: The 1999 Act was enacted into law on October 22, 1999,
(Pub. L. 106-78; 7 U.S.C. 1635-1636i), as an amendment to the
Agricultural Marketing Act of 1946 (7 U.S.C. 1621-1627). The 1999 Act
as originally passed provided for the mandatory reporting of market
information by federally inspected livestock processing plants that
have slaughtered an average number of livestock during the immediately
preceding 5 calendar years (125,000 for cattle and 100,000 for swine),
including any processing plant that did not slaughter during the
immediately preceding 5 calendar years if the Secretary determines that
the plant should be considered a packer based on the plant's capacity.
For entities that did not slaughter during the immediately preceding 5
calendar years, such as a new plant or existing plant that begins
operations, AMS projects the plant's annual slaughter or production
based upon the plant's estimate of annual slaughter capacity to
determine which entities meet the definition of packer as defined in
the regulation. The 1999 Act also gave the Secretary the latitude to
provide for the reporting of lamb information. Federally inspected lamb
processing plants that slaughtered an average of 75,000 head of lambs
or processed an average of 75,000 lamb carcasses during the immediately
preceding 5 calendar years were required to submit information to AMS.
Additionally, a lamb processing plant that did not slaughter an average
of 75,000 lambs or process an average of 75,000 lamb carcasses during
the immediately preceding 5 calendar years was required to report
information if the Secretary determined the processing plant should be
considered a packer based on its capacity. In addition, the Act also
established that for any calendar year, an importer of lamb that
imported an average of 2,500 metric tons of lamb meat products during
the immediately preceding 5 calendar years was required to report
information on the domestic sales of imported boxed lamb cuts.
Additionally, an importer that did not import an average of 2,500
metric tons of lamb meat products during the immediately preceding 5
calendar years was required to report information if the Secretary
determined that the person should be considered an importer based on
their volume of lamb imports. The regulations implementing the Act
appear at 7 CFR part 59.
The 1999 Act was reauthorized in October 2006, which re-established
the regulatory authority and amended the swine reporting requirements
to include swine packers that slaughtered an average of at least
200,000 sows, boars, and or combination thereof per year during the
immediately preceding 5 calendar years. On May 16, 2008, AMS published
a final rule (75 FR 28606) implementing the same.
September 28, 2010, the Mandatory Price Reporting Act reauthorized
LMR for an additional 5 years and added a provision for mandatory
reporting of wholesale pork cuts.
The reports that are generated by the 1999 Act are used by other
Government agencies to evaluate market conditions and calculate price
levels, such as USDA's Economic Research Service and World Agricultural
Outlook Board. Economists at most major agricultural colleges and
universities use the reports to make short and long-term market
projections. Also, the Government is a large purchaser of livestock
related products. A system to monitor the collection and reporting of
data therefore is needed.
The information must be collected, compiled, and disseminated by an
impartial third-party, in a manner which protects the confidentiality
of the reporting entities. AMS is in the best position to provide this
service.
Estimate of Burden: Public reporting burden for this collection of
information is estimated to average .171 hours per response.
Respondents: Business or other for-profit entities, individuals or
households, farms, and the Federal Government.
Estimated Number of Respondents: 422 respondents.
Estimated Number Responses: 138,684 responses.
Estimated Number of Responses per Respondent: 329 responses.
Estimated Total Annual Burden on Respondents: 23,779 hours.
Comments are invited on: (1) Whether the proposed 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 the burden of the
proposed collection of information 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 the use of appropriate automated, electronic,
mechanical, or other technological collection techniques or other forms
of information technology.
All responses to this document will be summarized and included in
the request for OMB approval. All comments will become a matter of
public record.
Dated: April 16, 2013.
David R. Shipman,
Administrator, Agricultural Marketing Service.
[FR Doc. 2013-09383 Filed 4-19-13; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-02-P