[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 111 (Monday, June 10, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Pages 39672-39673]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-14406]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Risk Management Agency


Notice of Intent To Seek Approval To Conduct an Information 
Collection

AGENCY: Risk Management Agency, 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 Risk Management Agency to request 
approval for information collections in support of the agency's mission 
to improve the economic stability of agriculture through a sound system 
of crop insurance. Approval will be requested for generic information 
collection projects.

DATES: Written comments on this notice will be accepted until close of 
business, August 9, 2002.

ADDRESSES: Interested persons are invited to submit written comments to 
Virginia Guzman, United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), 
Research and Evaluation Division, Federal Crop Insurance Corporation, 
Risk Management Agency, 6501 Beacon Drive, Mail Stop 813, Kansas City, 
MO 64133. Written comments may also be submitted electronically to: 
[email protected].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Virginia Guzman or David Fulk, at the 
Kansas City, MO address listed above, telephone (816) 926-6343.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    Title: Agricultural Risk Management, Research and Evaluation, 
Generic Information Collections.
    OMB Number: 0563-NEW.
    Type of Request: New Information Collection.
    Abstract: The Risk Management Agency intends to seek information in 
order to fulfill its mission to improve the economic stability of 
agriculture through a sound system of crop insurance. The Risk 
Management Agency requires input from agricultural producers, producer 
groups, academia and the insurance industry in order to maintain and 
expand existing crop insurance products, develop new risk management 
tools, conduct research into a variety of risk management issues and to 
evaluate the progress of research projects. The information collections 
will include: the utilization of written requests for information; 
questionnaires or surveys; listening sessions or focus groups; requests 
for applications and status reports. Information collections are 
necessary to provide input and data on the performance of existing risk 
management products, to access the risk management needs of 
agricultural producers, to access the feasibility of new risk 
management products and tools, to obtain the information necessary for 
the development of partnership agreements and to obtain information on 
the status of research agreements and projects. We are asking the 
Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to approve this information 
collection activity for 3 years.
    The purpose of this notice is to solicit comments from the public 
concerning the information collection activities. These comments will 
help us:
    (1) Evaluate 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) Evaluate the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden of 
the proposed collection information;
    (3) Enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to 
be collected; and
    (4) Minimize the burden of the collection of information on those 
who are to respond, through use, as appropriate, of automated, 
electronic, mechanical, or other collection technologies, e.g. 
permitting electronic submission of responses.
    Estimate of Burden: The public reporting burden for this collection 
of information is estimated to average 48 minutes per response for a 
total burden of 15,107 hours.
    Respondents/Affected Entities: Individuals and businesses involved 
in the production of agricultural production and livestock; individuals 
and businesses in the crop insurance industry; academia, including 
individuals or representatives of universities and colleges who are 
involved in research and issues of American agriculture and risk 
management.
    Estimated annual number of respondents: 18,884.

[[Page 39673]]

    Estimated annual number of responses: 18,884 or 1 per respondent.
    Estimated total annual burden on respondents: 15,107.
    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.

    Signed in Washington, DC, on May 31, 2002.
Ross J. Davidson, Jr.,
Manager, Federal Crop Insurance Corporation.
[FR Doc. 02-14406 Filed 6-7-02; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-08-P