[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 24 (Thursday, February 5, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Pages 5484-5486]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 04-2432]


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 Notices
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 This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER contains documents other than rules 
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  Federal Register / Vol. 69 , No. 24 / Thursday, February 5, 2004 / 
Notices  

[[Page 5484]]



DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Agricultural Marketing Service

[Doc. No. FV-03-378]


Notice of Request for New 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 that the Agricultural 
Marketing Service (AMS) is requesting approval from the Office of 
Management and Budget of a new information collection: the USDA Food 
and Commodity Connection Web site.

DATES: Comments received by April 5, 2004 will be considered.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION OR COMMENTS: Contact Lynne E. Yedinak, Food 
Quality Assurance Staff, Fruit and Vegetable Programs, Agricultural 
Marketing Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, STOP 0243, 1400 
Independence Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 20250-0243, telephone: (202) 
720-9939 and Fax: (202) 690-0102.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    Title: USDA Food and Commodity Connection Web site.
    OMB Number: 0581-New.
    Expiration Date of Approval: 3 years from date of OMB approval.
    Type of Request: New Information Collection.
    Abstract: The information collection requirements in this request 
are needed for the operation of the U.S. Department of Agriculture 
(USDA) Food and Commodity Connection Web site, which operates pursuant 
to the authority of Section 32 of Public Law 74-320. The USDA Food and 
Commodity Connection Web site supports the U.S. Department of 
Agriculture, Agricultural Marketing Service mission of facilitating the 
efficient, fair marketing of U.S. agricultural products. Registering to 
participate on or use of the USDA Food and Commodity Connection Web 
site is voluntary.
    The USDA Food and Commodity Connection Web site is being developed 
to assist the institutional food service community across the United 
States. The USDA Food and Commodity Connection Web site focuses on 
providing information and assistance to institutional food service 
professionals (public and private schools, the military, Veterans 
Administration facilities, Native American facilities, health care 
facilities, colleges and universities, prisons, child care facilities 
and facilities for needy families) in identifying processors who can 
further process (manufacture value-added foods) USDA supplied 
commodities that best meet their nutritional requirements. At the same 
time, the USDA Food and Commodity Connection Web site provides a 
platform for processors, distributors, and brokers to post information 
about their commercial food products, in addition to their further 
processed USDA supplied commodities, that are available for use by 
institutional food service professionals.
    Institutional food service professionals (public and private 
schools, the military, Veterans Administration facilities, Native 
American facilities, health care facilities, colleges and universities, 
prisons, child care facilities and facilities for needy families) who 
choose to register on the USDA Food and Commodity Connection Web site 
will provide the following information: the registrant's name, 
position, e-mail address, telephone number, school/organization name, 
and address. Processors who choose to register on the USDA Food and 
Commodity Connection Web site provide the following information: 
confirmation that the company is eligible to participate in Federal 
procurement, the registrant's name, position, e-mail address, telephone 
number, company name, address, country, UCC ID (Uniform Code Council 
identification number), and whether they are a national or regional 
processor. Distributors who choose to register on the USDA Food and 
Commodity Connection Web site provide the following information: the 
registrant's name, position, e-mail address, telephone number, company 
name, address, country, UCC ID (Uniform Code Council identification 
number), and whether they are a national or regional distributor. 
Brokers who choose to register on the USDA Food and Commodity 
Connection Web site provide the following information: the registrant's 
name, position, e-mail address, telephone number, brokerage company 
name, address, country, and whether they are a national or regional 
broker. Information provided by institutional food service 
professionals assists producers, distributors, and brokers in locating 
potential customers. Producer's and distributor's food service product 
and contact information is available to the institutional food service 
professionals to assist them in locating producers and distributors 
that handle the food products that they want to use. The information 
provided by brokers enables institutional food service professionals to 
know which manufacturers the broker represents, the States which that 
broker serves, and contacts at the brokerage firm. All registrants on 
the USDA Food and Commodity Connection Web site choose their own user 
ID and password.
    The total burden for the proposed information collection for the 
USDA Food and Commodity Connection Web site is as follows:
    Estimate of Burden: Public reporting burden for this collection of 
information is estimated to average 0.26 hours per response.
    Respondents: Institutional food service professionals (public and 
private schools, the military, Veterans Administration facilities, 
Native American facilities, health care facilities, colleges and 
universities, prisons, child care facilities, and facilities for needy 
families), processors, distributors, and brokers.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 800 (300 institutional food 
service professionals, 300 processors, 100 distributors, and 100 
brokers).
    Estimated Number of Responses: 15,200.
    Estimated Number of Responses per Respondent: 19.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden on Respondents: 3,942 hours.
    For each new registration submission, the proposed request for 
approval of

[[Page 5485]]

new information collections on the USDA Food and Commodity Connection 
Web site is as follows:
    Institutional Food Service Professional registration submission. 
Institutional food service professionals (public and private schools, 
the military, Veterans Administration facilities, Native American 
facilities, health care facilities, colleges and universities, prisons, 
child care facilities and facilities for needy families) use this 
registration submission to create their user profile.
    Estimate of Burden: Public reporting burden for this collection of 
information is estimated to average 7 minutes per response.
    Respondents: Institutional food service professionals (public and 
private schools, the military, Veterans Administration facilities, 
Native American facilities, health care facilities, colleges and 
universities, prisons, child care facilities and facilities for needy 
families).
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 300.
    Estimated Number of Responses: 300.
    Estimated Number of Responses per Respondent: Respondents only 
complete the registration once.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden on Respondents: 33 hours.
    Processors registration submission. Processors use this 
registration submission to register their companies.
    Estimate of Burden: Public reporting burden for this collection of 
information is estimated to average 9 minutes per response.
    Respondents: Processors.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 300.
    Estimated Number of Responses: 300.
    Estimated Number of Responses per Respondent: Respondents only 
complete the registration once.

    Estimated Total Annual Burden on Respondents: 45 hours.
    Processors Add a Plant and Request an Audit registration 
submission. Processors use this submission to register the plants in 
which they manufacture their products.
    Estimate of Burden: Public reporting burden for this collection of 
information is estimated to average 8 minutes per response.
    Respondents: Processors.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 300.
    Estimated Number of Responses: 300.
    Estimated Number of Responses per Respondent: Each respondent 
completes this submission once for each plant they register.

    Estimated Total Annual Burden on Respondents: 41 hours.
    Processors Add a New Product registration submission. Processors 
use this registration submission to register information about their 
products manufactured from USDA supplied commodities and their 
commercial food products. Processors may include additional product 
information including but not limited to: ingredients, product 
description, preparation and cooking instructions, nutrients, package 
and packaging data, and product fact sheet link.
    Estimate of Burden: Public reporting burden for this collection of 
information is estimated to average 16 minutes per response.
    Respondents: Processors.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 300.
    Estimated Number of Responses: 3,000.
    Estimated Number of Responses per Respondent: 10. Each respondent 
completes this submission once for each product they register.

    Estimated Total Annual Burden on Respondents: 810 hours.
    Distributors registration submission. Distributors use this 
registration submission to register their food service distribution 
companies.
    Estimate of Burden: Public reporting burden for this collection of 
information is estimated to average 9 minutes per response.
    Respondents: Distributors.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 100.
    Estimated Number of Responses: 100.
    Estimated Number of Responses per Respondent: Respondents only 
complete the registration once.

    Estimated Total Annual Burden on Respondents: 15 hours.
    Distributors Add a Warehouse and Request an Audit registration 
submission. Distributors use this submission to register the warehouses 
in which they store the products they list.
    Estimate of Burden: Public reporting burden for this collection of 
information is estimated to average 8 minutes per response.
    Respondents: Distributors.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 100.
    Estimated Number of Responses: 100.
    Estimated Number of Responses per Respondent: Each respondent 
completes this submission once for each plant they register.

    Estimated Total Annual Burden on Respondents: 14 hours.
    Distributors Add a New Product registration submission. 
Distributors use this registration submission to register information 
about their products manufactured from USDA supplied commodities and 
their commercial food products. Distributors may include additional 
product information including but not limited to: ingredients, product 
description, preparation and cooking instructions, nutrients, package 
and packaging data, and product fact sheet link.
    Estimate of Burden: Public reporting burden for this collection of 
information is estimated to average 16 minutes per response.
    Respondents: Distributors.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 100.
    Estimated Number of Responses: 10,000.
    Estimated Number of Responses per Respondent: 100. Each respondent 
completes this submission once for each product they register.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden on Respondents: 2,700 hours.
    Brokers registration submission. Brokers use this registration 
submission to register the companies they represent.
    Estimate of Burden: Public reporting burden for this collection of 
information is estimated to average 9 minutes per response.
    Respondents: Brokers.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 100.
    Estimated Number of Responses: 100.
    Estimated Number of Responses per Respondent: Respondents only 
complete the registration once.

    Estimated Total Annual Burden on Respondents: 15 hours.
    Brokers Add a Company registration submission. Brokers use this 
submission to register the processors that they represent.
    Estimate of Burden: Public reporting burden for this collection of 
information is estimated to average 16 minutes per response.
    Respondents: Brokers.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 100.
    Estimated Number of Responses: 1,000.
    Estimated Number of Responses per Respondent: 10. Each respondent 
completes this submission once for each company they represent.

    Estimated Total Annual Burden on Respondents: 270 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

[[Page 5486]]

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. Comments may be sent to Lynne E. Yedinak, 
Food Quality Assurance Staff, Fruit and Vegetable Programs, 
Agricultural Marketing Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, STOP 
0243, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 20250-0243, 
telephone: (202) 720-9939 and Fax: (202) 690-0102. All comments 
received will be available for public inspection during regular 
business hours at the same address.
    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: January 29, 2004.
A.J. Yates,
Administrator, Agricultural Marketing Service.
[FR Doc. 04-2432 Filed 2-4-04; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-02-P