[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 63 (Thursday, April 2, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Page 16225]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-8648]


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 Notices
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  Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 63 / Thursday, April 2, 1998 / 
Notices  

[[Page 16225]]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Agricultural Marketing Service
[Docket No. PY-98-004]


Notice of Request for Approval of an Information Collection

AGENCY: Agricultural Marketing Service, USDA.

ACTION: Proposed information collection: Comments requested.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 
U.S.C. Chapter 35), this notice announces the intention of the 
Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) to request an approval of an 
information collection in support of customer-focused improvement 
initiatives for USDA-procured poultry, livestock, fruit, and vegetable 
products.

DATES: Comments on this notice must be received by June 1, 1998.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Contact Douglas Bailey, 
Standardization Branch, Poultry Programs, Agricultural Marketing 
Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW., 
Stop 0259, Washington, DC 20050-0259, (202) 720-3506.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    Title: Customer Service Survey for USDA-Donated Food Products.
    OMB Number: 0581-XXXX.
    Expiration Date of Approval:
    Type of Request: Approval of a new information collection.
    Abstract: In 1996 AMS piloted the use of a 4-by 6-inch postcard to 
enable customers to voluntarily submit their perceptions of poultry and 
livestock products procured by USDA for school lunch and other domestic 
food programs. These cards have proven to be a quick and inexpensive 
way for AMS to know what its customers are thinking and to learn how to 
make meaningful improvements to its products. AMS would like to 
continue the use of the customer opinion postcards to get voluntary 
customer feedback on various products each year by creating the 
Customer Opinion Postcard, Form AMS-11. In this way AMS will be better 
able to meet the quality expectations of school food service personnel 
and the 26 million school children who consume these products daily.
    Information about customers' perception of USDA-procured products 
is sought as a sound management practice to support AMS activities 
under 7 CFR 250, Regulations for the Donation of Foods for Use in the 
United States, Its Territories and Possessions and Areas Under Its 
Jurisdiction. The information collected will be used primarily by 
authorized representatives of USDA (AMS, and the Food and Nutrition 
Service) and shared with State government agencies and product 
suppliers. To enable customers to mail cards directly to the commodity 
program that is soliciting the information, several versions of the 
Form AMS-11 will be used, each with a different return address. 
Response information about products produced by a particular supplier 
may be shared with that supplier. Similarly, response information from 
customers located in a particular State may be shared with government 
agencies within that State.
    Estimate of Burden: Public reporting burden for this collection of 
information is estimated to average 0.083 hours (5 minutes) per 
response.
    Respondents: State, local, and tribal governments, and not-for-
profit businesses.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 8,400.
    Estimated Number of Responses per Respondent: 1.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden on Respondents: 700 hours.
    Copies of this information collection can be obtained from Douglas 
Bailey, Standardization Branch, at (202) 720-3506.
    Send comments regarding, but not limited to, the following: (a) 
whether the 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 burden 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, or other technological collection techniques or 
other forms of information technology, to: Douglas C. Bailey, Chief, 
Standardization Branch, Poultry Programs, Agricultural Marketing 
Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, 1400 Independence Ave., SW., 
Stop 0259, Washington, DC 20250-0259.
    All responses to this notice will be summarized and included in the 
request for OMB approval. All comments will also become a matter of 
public record.


    Dated: March 27, 1998.
D. Michael Holbrook,
Deputy Administrator, Poultry Programs.
[FR Doc. 98-8648 Filed 4-1-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-02-P