[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 43 (Tuesday, March 4, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Pages 11613-11614]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-4082]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

National Agricultural Statistics Service


Notice of Intent To Seek Approval To Revise and Extend an 
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 seek approval to revise and extend a currently 
approved information collection, the Agricultural Resources Management 
Survey and Chemical Use Surveys. The following two scheduling changes 
will be requested. First, chemical use surveys are only requested for 
fall 2010 to include fruit and postharvest. Thus, no vegetable chemical 
use survey will be requested. Second, in 2008 only, in lieu of the fall 
ARMS Phase II Survey, additional questions will be requested for the 
ARMS Phase III Cost and Returns Report. These questions will focus on 
a) bio-energy crop adoption and production expenses, and b) impact of 
tobacco program changes on tobacco marketing. Thus, in 2009, NASS will 
not publish the 2008 Field Crops Chemical Use report which would have 
resulted from a 2008 ARMS Phase II Survey.

DATES: Comments on this notice must be received by May 5, 2008 to be 
assured of consideration.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments, identified by docket number 0535-
0235, by any of the following methods:
     E-mail: [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: NASS 
Clearance Officer, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Room 5336 A, Mail 
Stop 2024, South Building, 1400 Independence Avenue SW., Washington, DC 
20250-2024.
     Hand Delivery/Courier: Hand deliver to: NASS Clearance 
Officer, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Room 5336 A 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.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    Title: Agricultural Resources Management Survey and Chemical Use 
Surveys.
    OMB Control Number: 0535-0218.
    Expiration Date of Approval: September 30, 2008.
    Type of Request: Intent to revise and extend a currently approved 
information collection.
    Abstract: The Agricultural Resource Management Survey (ARMS) is the 
primary source of information for the U.S. Department of Agriculture on 
a broad range of issues related to agricultural resource use and costs 
and farm sector financial conditions. ARMS is the only source of 
information available for objective evaluation of many critical issues 
related to agriculture and the rural economy, such as: whole farm 
finance data including data sufficient to construct estimates of income 
for farms by; type of operation, loan commodities, income for operator 
households, credit, structure, and organization; marketing information, 
and other economic data on input usage, production practices, and crop 
substitution possibilities.
    Data from ARMS are used to produce estimates of net farm income by 
type of commercial producer as required in 7 U.S.C. 7998 and estimates 
of enterprise production costs as required in 7 U.S.C. 1441(a). Data 
from ARMS are also used as weights in the development of the Prices 
Paid Index, a component of the

[[Page 11614]]

Parity Index referred to in the Agricultural Adjustment Act of 1938. 
These indexes are used to calculate the annual federal grazing fee 
rates as described in the Public Rangelands Improvement Act of 1978 and 
Executive Order 12,548 and as promulgated in regulations found at 36 
CFR 222.51. In addition, ARMS is used to produce estimates of sector-
wide production expenditures and other components of income that are 
used in constructing the estimates of income and value-added which are 
transmitted to the U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of Economic 
Analysis, by the USDA Economic Research Service (ERS) for use in 
constructing economy-wide estimates of Gross Domestic Product. This 
transmittal of data, prepared using the ARMS, is undertaken to satisfy 
a 1956 agreement between the Office of Management and Budget and the 
Departments of Agriculture and Commerce that a single set of estimates 
be published on farm income.
    The following two scheduling changes will be requested. First, 
chemical use surveys are only requested for fall 2010 to include fruit 
and postharvest. Thus, no vegetable chemical use survey will be 
requested. Second, in 2008 only, in lieu of the fall ARMS Phase II 
Survey, additional questions will be requested for the ARMS Phase III 
Cost and Returns Report.
    Chemical Use Surveys: Congress has mandated that NASS and ERS build 
nationally coordinated databases on agricultural chemical use and 
related farm practices; these databases are the primary vehicles used 
to produce specified environmental and economic estimates. The surveys 
will help provide the knowledge and technical means for producers and 
researchers to address on-farm environmental concerns in a manner that 
maintains agricultural productivity.
    The following two scheduling changes will be requested. First, 
chemical use surveys are only requested for fall 2010 to include fruit 
and postharvest. Thus, no vegetable chemical use survey will be 
requested. Second, in 2008 only, in lieu of the fall ARMS Phase II 
Survey, additional questions will be requested for the ARMS Phase III 
Cost and Returns Report.

    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, 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 (Pub. L. 104-13 codified at 44 U.S.C. 3501, et seq.) and 
Office of Management and Budget regulations at 5 CFR part 1320 (60 
FR 44978, August 29, 1995).

    Estimate of Burden: Public reporting burden for this collection of 
information is estimated to average approximately 36 minutes per 
survey.
    Respondents: Farmers, ranchers, farm managers, farm contractors, 
and farm households.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: Approximately 61,000 respondents 
will be sampled each year. Over half of these respondents will be 
contacted more than one time in a single year.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden on Respondents: Approximately 65,000 
hours per year. Copies of this information collection and related 
instructions can be obtained without charge from the NASS Clearance 
Officer, at (202) 720-5778.
    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 use of appropriate automated, 
electronic, mechanical, or other technological collection techniques or 
other forms of information technology.
    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 19, 2008.
Joseph T. Reilly,
Associate Administrator.
 [FR Doc. E8-4082 Filed 3-3-08; 8:45 am]
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