[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 163 (Thursday, August 22, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Pages 52129-52130]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-20434]
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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Agricultural Marketing Service
[AMS-CN-13-0045]
Cotton Classification and Market News Service: Notice of Request
for an 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 (44
U.S.C. Chapter 35), this notice 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 Cotton Classification and Market News
Service.
DATES: Comments received by October 21, 2013 will be considered.
Additional Information or Comments: Interested persons are invited
to submit written comments concerning this proposal to Shethir M. Riva,
Chief, Research and Promotion Staff, Cotton and Tobacco Programs, AMS,
USDA, 100 Riverside Parkway, Suite 101, Fredericksburg, Virginia 22406.
Comments should be submitted in triplicate. Comments may also be
submitted electronically through www.regulations.gov. All comments
should reference AMS-CN-13-0045. All comments received will be made
available for public inspection at www.regulations.gov or at the Cotton
and Tobacco Programs, 100 Riverside Parkway, Suite 101, Fredericksburg,
Virginia 22406, during regular business hours.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Shethir M. Riva, Chief, Research and
Promotion Staff, Cotton and Tobacco Programs, AMS, USDA, 100 Riverside
Parkway, Suite 101, Fredericksburg, Virginia 22406, telephone (540)
361-2726, facsimile (540) 361-1199, or email at
[email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Title: Cotton Classification and Market News Service.
OMB Number: 0581-0009.
Expiration Date of Approval: January 31, 2014.
Type of Request: Extension and Revision of a Currently Approved
Information Collection.
Abstract: The Cotton Classification and Market News Service program
provides market information on cotton prices, quality, stocks, demand
and supply to growers, ginners, merchandisers, textile mills and the
public for their use in making sound business decisions. The Cotton
Statistics and Estimates Act (7 U.S.C. 471-476), authorizes and directs
the Secretary of Agriculture to: (a) Collect and publish annually,
statistics or estimates concerning the grades and staple lengths of
stocks of cotton, known as the carryover, on hand on the 1st of August
each year in warehouses and other establishments of every character in
the continental U.S., and following such publication each year, to
publish at intervals, in his/her discretion, his/her estimate of the
grades and staple length of cotton of the current crop (7 U.S.C. 471)
and (b) Collect, authenticate, publish and distribute by radio, mail,
or otherwise, timely information of the market supply, demand,
location, and market prices of cotton (7 U.S.C. 473b). The Agricultural
Marketing Act of 1946 (7 U.S.C. 1621-1627) authorizes and directs the
Secretary of Agriculture to collect and disseminate marketing
information, including adequate outlook information on a market-area
basis, for the purpose of anticipating and meeting consumer
requirements, aiding in the maintenance of farm income, and bringing
about a balance between production and utilization of agricultural
products.
The information collection requirements in this request are
essential to carry out the intent of the Acts and to provide the cotton
industry the type of information they need to make sound business
decisions. The information collected is the minimum required.
Information is requested from growers, cooperatives, merchants,
manufacturers, and other government agencies. This includes information
on cotton, cottonseed and cotton linters.
The information collected is used only by authorized employees of
the USDA, AMS. The cotton industry is the primary user of the compiled
information and AMS and other government agencies are secondary users.
Estimate of Burden: Public reporting burden for this collection of
information is estimated to average 0.12 hours per response.
Respondents: Cotton Merchandisers, Textile Mills, Ginners.
Estimated Number of Respondents: 826
Estimated Number of Responses per Respondent: 6.37.
Estimated Number of Responses: 5,260
Estimated Total Annual Burden on Respondents: 652.72
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
[[Page 52130]]
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. Comments may be submitted electronically through
www.regulations.gov. Comments also may be sent to Shethir M. Riva,
Chief, Research and Promotion Staff, Cotton and Tobacco Programs, AMS,
USDA, 100 Riverside Parkway, Suite 101, Fredericksburg, Virginia 22406.
All comments received will be available for public inspection during
regular business hours at the same address or through
www.regulations.gov.
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 16, 2013.
Rex A. Barnes,
Associate Administrator, Agricultural Marketing Service.
[FR Doc. 2013-20434 Filed 8-21-13; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-02-P