[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 51 (Monday, March 17, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 14663-14664]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-05843]
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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
National Agricultural Statistics Service
Notice of Intent To Request Revision and Extension of a Currently
Approved Information Collection
AGENCY: National Agricultural Statistics 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 intention of the National Agricultural Statistics
Service (NASS) to request revision and extension of a currently
approved information collection, the Certified Organic Survey. Revision
to burden hours will be needed due to changes in the size of the target
population, sampling design, and/or questionnaire length.
DATES: Comments on this notice must be received by May 16, 2014 to be
assured of consideration.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments, identified by docket number 0535-
0249, by any of the following methods:
Email: [email protected]. Include docket number
above in the subject line of the message.
Fax: (202) 720-6396.
Mail: Mail any paper, disk, or CD-ROM submissions to:
David Hancock, NASS Clearance Officer, U.S. Department of Agriculture,
Room 5336 South Building, 1400 Independence Avenue SW., Washington, DC
20250-2024.
Hand Delivery/Courier: Hand deliver to: David Hancock,
NASS Clearance Officer, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Room 5336 South
Building, 1400 Independence Avenue SW., Washington, DC 20250-2024.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Joseph T. Reilly, Associate
Administrator, National Agricultural Statistics Service, U.S.
Department of Agriculture, (202) 720-4333. Copies of this information
collection and related instructions can be obtained without charge from
David Hancock, NASS Clearance Officer, at (202) 690-2388.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Title: Certified Organic Survey.
OMB Control Number: 0535-0249.
Expiration Date of Previous Approval: July 31, 2014.
Type of Request: To revise and extend a currently approved
information collection for a period of three years.
Abstract: The primary objective of the National Agricultural
Statistics Service (NASS) is to prepare and issue State and national
estimates of crop and livestock production, prices, and disposition as
well as economic statistics, farm numbers, land values, on-farm
pesticide usage, pest crop management practices, as well as the Census
of Agriculture. In 2009, NASS conducted the 2008 Organic Production
Survey (OMB 0535-0249). This was originally designed to be
conducted once every five years as a follow-on-survey to the Census of
Agriculture. The USDA Risk Management Agency (RMA) has made a formal
agreement with NASS to conduct this as an annual survey, as funding
permits, with a rotation of crops. The name of this docket will be
changed to Certified Organic Survey. The reference year is the
production year previous to the data collection year.
The census-based survey will include all known farm operators who
produce organically certified crops and/or livestock. The survey will
be conducted in all States. Some operational level data will be
collected to use in classifying each operation for summary purposes.
The majority of the questions will involve production data (acres
planted, acres harvested, quantity harvested, quantity sold, value of
sale, etc.), production expenses, and marketing practices.
Approximately 14,000 operations will be contacted by mail in early
January, with a second mailing later in the month to non-respondents.
Telephone and personal enumeration will be used for remaining non-
response follow up. The National Agricultural Statistics Service will
publish summaries in October at both the State level and for each major
organic commodity when possible. Some State level data may need to be
published on regional or national level due to confidentiality rules.
Under the 2014 Farm Bill (Section 11023) some of the duties of the
Federal Crop Insurance Corporation (FCIC) are defined as ``(i) IN
GENERAL-- As soon as possible, but not later than the 2015 reinsurance
year, the Corporation shall offer producers of organic crops price
elections for all organic crops produced in compliance with standards
issued by the Department of Agriculture under the national organic
program established under the Organic Foods Production Act of 1990 (7
U.S.C. 6501 et seq.) that reflect the actual retail or wholesale
prices, as appropriate, received by producers for organic crops, as
determined by the Secretary using all relevant sources of information.
``(ii) ANNUAL REPORT.-- The Corporation shall submit to the Committee
on Agriculture of the House of Representatives and the Committee on
Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry of the Senate an annual report on
progress made in developing and improving Federal crop insurance for
organic crops, including--``(I) the numbers and varieties of organic
crops insured; ``(II) the progress of implementing the price elections
required under this subparagraph, including the rate at which
additional price elections are adopted for organic crops; ``(III) the
development of new insurance approaches relevant to organic producers;
and ``(IV) any recommendations the Corporation considers appropriate to
improve Federal crop insurance coverage for organic crops.''.
Authority: These data will be collected under the authority of
7 U.S.C. 2204(a). Individually identifiable data collected under
this authority are governed by Section 1770 of the Food Security Act
of 1985 as amended, 7 U.S.C. 2276, which requires USDA to afford
strict confidentiality to non-aggregated data provided by
respondents. This Notice is submitted in accordance with the
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, Public Law 104-13 (44 U.S.C. 3501,
et seq.) and Office of Management and Budget regulations at 5 CFR
part 1320.
NASS also complies with OMB Implementation Guidance,
``Implementation Guidance for Title V of the E-Government Act,
Confidential Information Protection and Statistical Efficiency Act of
2002 (CIPSEA),'' Federal Register, Vol. 72, No. 115, June 15, 2007, p.
33362.
Estimate of Burden: Public reporting burden for this collection of
information
[[Page 14664]]
is estimated to average 30 minutes per response.
Respondents: Farmers and Ranchers.
Estimated Number of Respondents: 14,000.
Estimated Total Annual Burden on Respondents: 8,000 hours (based on
an estimated 80% response rate, using 2 mail attempts, followed by
phone and personal enumeration for non-respondents).
Comments: Comments are invited on: (a) 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; (b) 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; (c) Ways to enhance
the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected;
and (d) 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, technological or other forms of
information technology collection methods.
All responses to this notice will become a matter of public record
and be summarized in the request for OMB approval.
Signed at Washington, DC, February 27, 2014.
Joseph T. Reilly,
Associate Administrator.
[FR Doc. 2014-05843 Filed 3-14-14; 8:45 am]
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