[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 161 (Tuesday, August 20, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Pages 51135-51136]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-20254]
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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Agricultural Marketing Service
[Doc. No. AMS-DA-13-0047]
Notice of Request for Extension and Revision of a Currently
Approved Information Collection
AGENCY: Agricultural Marketing Service, USDA.
ACTION: Notice and request for comments.
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SUMMARY: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this
notice announces the Agricultural Marketing Service's (AMS) intention
to request an extension for and revision to a currently approved
information collection for report forms under the Federal milk
marketing order program.
DATES: Comments on this notice must be received by October 21, 2013.
ADDRESSES: Interested persons are invited to submit written comments
electronically at http://www.regulations.gov or to the Office of the
Deputy Administrator, Dairy Programs, AMS, USDA, 1400 Independence
Avenue SW., Room 2968 South, Stop 0225, Washington, DC 20250-0225.
Comments should make reference to the date and page number of this
issue of the Federal Register. All comments will be posted
electronically without change; including any personal information
provided at http://regulations.gov. Comments will also be available for
public inspection in the above office during regular business hours.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Contact David R. Jamison, Acting
Chief, Order Operations Branch, Dairy Programs, (202) 720-5752, FAX:
(202)690-3410.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Title: Report Forms under Federal Milk Orders (From Milk Handlers
and Milk Marketing Cooperatives).
OMB Number: 0581-0032.
Expiration Date of Approval: January 31, 2014.
Type of Request: Extension and revision of a currently approved
information collection.
Abstract: Federal milk marketing order regulations (7 CFR parts
1000-1199) authorized under the Agricultural Marketing Agreement Act of
1937, as amended (7 U.S.C. 601-674), require milk handlers to report in
detail the receipts and utilization of milk and milk products handled
at each of their plants that are regulated by a Federal order. The data
are needed to administer the classified pricing system and related
requirements of each Federal order.
A Federal milk marketing order (hereinafter, Order) is a regulation
issued by the Secretary of Agriculture that places certain requirements
on the handling of milk in the area it covers. Each Order is
established under the authority of the Act. The Order requires that
handlers of milk for a marketing area pay not less than certain minimum
class prices according to how the milk is used. These prices are
established under each Order after a public hearing at which evidence
is received on the supply and demand conditions for milk in the market.
An Order requires that payments for milk be pooled and paid to
individual farmers or cooperative associations of farmers on the basis
of a uniform or average price. Thus, all eligible farmers (producers)
share in the market wide use-values of milk by regulated handlers.
Milk Orders help ensure adequate supplies of milk and dairy
products for consumers and adequate returns to producers.
The Orders also provide for the public dissemination of market
statistics and other information for the benefit of producers,
handlers, and consumers.
Formal rulemaking amendments to the Orders must be approved in
referenda conducted by the Secretary.
During 2012, 40,750 dairy farmers delivered over 122 billion pounds
of milk to handlers regulated under the milk orders. This volume
represents 61 percent of all milk marketed in the U.S. and 62 percent
of the milk of bottling quality (Grade A) sold in the country. The
value of this milk delivered to Federal milk order handlers at minimum
order blend prices was nearly $22.1 billion. Producer deliveries of
milk used in Class I products (mainly fluid milk products) totaled 43
billion pounds--36 percent of total producer deliveries. More than 247
million Americans reside in Federal milk order marketing areas--80
percent of the total U.S. population.
Each Order is administered by a USDA market administrator. The
market administrator is authorized to levy assessments on regulated
handlers to carry out the market administrator's duties and
responsibilities under the Orders. Additional duties of the market
administrators are to prescribe reports required of each handler, to
assure that handlers properly account for milk and milk products, and
to assure that such handlers pay producers and associations of
producers according to the provisions of the Order. The market
administrator employs a staff that verifies handlers' reports by
examining records to determine that the required payments are made to
producers. Most reports required from handlers are submitted monthly to
the market administrator.
The forms used by the market administrators are required by the
respective Orders that are authorized by the Act. The forms are used to
establish the quantity of milk received by handlers, the pooling status
of the handler, the class-use of the milk used by the handler, and the
butterfat content and amounts of other components of the milk.
The forms covered under this information collection require the
minimum information necessary to
[[Page 51136]]
effectively carry out the requirements of the Orders, and their use is
necessary to fulfill the intent of the Act as expressed in the Orders
and in the rules and regulations issued under the Orders.
The information collected is used only by authorized employees of
the market administrator and authorized representatives of the USDA,
including AMS Dairy Programs' headquarters staff.
Estimate of Burden: Public reporting burden for this collection of
information is estimated to average 1.10 hours per response.
Respondents: Milk handlers and milk marketing cooperatives.
Estimated Number of Respondents: 690.
Estimated Number of Responses: 18,774.
Estimated Number of Responses per Respondent: 27.
Estimated Total Annual Burden on Respondents: 20,691 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 notice will be summarized and included in the
request for OMB approval. All comments will become a matter of public
record.
Dated: August 14, 2013.
Rex A. Barnes,
Associate Administrator, Agricultural Marketing Service.
[FR Doc. 2013-20254 Filed 8-19-13; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-02-P