[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 120 (Wednesday, June 24, 2009)]
[Notices]
[Pages 30042-30043]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-14851]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE


Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request

June 19, 2009.
    The Department of Agriculture has submitted the following 
information collection requirement(s) to OMB for review and clearance 
under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, Public Law 104-13. Comments 
regarding (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; (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 should be addressed to: Desk 
Officer for Agriculture, Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, 
Office of Management and Budget (OMB), [email protected] or 
fax (202) 395-5806 and to Departmental Clearance Office, USDA, OCIO, 
Mail Stop 7602, Washington, DC 20250-7602. Comments regarding these 
information collections are best assured of having their full effect if 
received within 30 days of this notification. Copies of the 
submission(s) may be obtained by calling (202) 720-8958.
    An agency may not conduct or sponsor a collection of information 
unless the collection of information displays a currently valid OMB 
control number and the agency informs potential persons who are to 
respond to the collection of information that such persons are not 
required to respond to the collection of information unless it displays 
a currently valid OMB control number.

Foreign Agricultural Service

    Title: Foreign Market Development Cooperator Program (FMDCP) and 
Market Access Program (MAP).
    OMB Control Number: 0551-0026.
    Summary of Collection: The basic authority for the Foreign Market 
Development Cooperator Program (FMDCP) is contained in Title VII of the 
Agricultural Trade Act of 1978, 7 U.S.C. 5721, et seq. Program 
regulations appear at 7 CFR part 1484. Title VII directs the Secretary 
of Agriculture to ``establish and, in cooperation with eligible trade 
organization, carry out a foreign market development cooperator program 
to maintain and develop foreign markets for United States agricultural 
commodities and products.'' The primary objective of the Market Access 
Program (MAP) is to encourage the development, maintenance and 
expansion of commercial export markets for U.S. agricultural products 
through cost-share assistance to eligible trade organizations that 
implement a foreign market development program. The programs are 
administered by personnel of the Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS).
    Need and Use of the Information: The collected information will be 
used by FAS to manage, plan, evaluate, and account for government 
resources. Specifically, data is used to assess the extent to which: 
applicant organizations represent U.S. commodity interests; benefits 
derived from market development effort will translate back to the 
broadest possible range of beneficiaries; the market development 
efforts will lead to increases in consumption and imports of U.S. 
agricultural commodities; the applicant is able and willing to commit 
personnel and financial resources to assure adequate development, 
supervision and execution of project activities; and private 
organizations are able and willing to support the promotional program 
with aggressive marketing of the commodity in question. Without the 
collected information the program could not be implemented.

[[Page 30043]]

    Description of Respondents: Not-for-profit institutions; State, 
Local, or Tribal Government.
    Number of Respondents: 71.
    Frequency of Responses: Recordkeeping; Reporting: Annually.
    Total Burden Hours: 91,070.

Foreign Agricultural Agency

    Title: Emergency Relief from Duty-Free Imports of Perishable 
Products Under the Andean Trade Promotion and Drug Eradication Act 
(ATPDEA).
    OMB Control Number: 0551-0033.
    Summary of Collection: The Andean Trade Preference Act (the Act) 
(19 U.S.C. 3201 et seq.) was signed into law on December 4, 1991 and 
expired December 4, 2001. Section 3104 of H.R. 3009, the ``Trade Act of 
2002'' amended section 208(b) of the Act to extend the termination date 
to December 31, 2006, retroactive to December 4, 2001. The Act 
authorizes the President to provide duty-free treatment to imports from 
Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru, except for those few products 
specifically excluded. Section 204(d) provides, in part, that a 
petition for emergency import relief may be filed with the Secretary of 
Agriculture at the same time a petition for import relief is filed with 
the United States International Trade Commission (ITC). Emergency 
import relief is limited to restoration of MFN tariffs during the 
period of the ITC's investigation.
    Need and Use of the Information: The Foreign Agricultural Service 
will collect the following information to be included in a petition: a 
description of the imported perishable product concerned; country of 
origin of imports; data indicating increased imports are a substantial 
cause of serious injury to the domestic industry producing a like or 
directly competitive product; evidence of serious injury; and a 
statement indicating why emergency action would be warranted. The 
information collected provides essential data for the Secretary 
regarding specific market conditions with respect to the industry 
requesting emergency relief.
    Description of Respondents: Business or other for-profit; 
Individuals or households.
    Number of Respondents: 1.
    Frequency of Responses: Reporting; On occasion.
    Total Burden Hours: 23.

Foreign Agricultural Service

    Title: Technical Assistance for Specialty Crops Program.
    OMB Control Number: 0551-0038.
    Summary of Collection: The Technical Assistance for Specialty Crops 
(TASC) program is authorized by Section 3205 of the Farm Security and 
Rural Investment Act of 2002 (Pub. L. 107-171). This section provides 
that the Secretary of Agriculture shall establish a program to address 
unique barriers that prohibit or threaten the export of U.S. specialty 
crops. The Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) administers the program 
for the Commodity Credit Corporation. The TASC is designed to assist 
U.S. organizations by providing funding for projects that address 
sanitary, phytosanitary, and technical barriers that prohibit or 
threaten the export of U.S. specialty crops.
    Need and Use of the Information: FAS collects data for fund 
allocation, program management, planning and evaluation. FAS will 
collect information from applicant desiring to receive grants under the 
program to determine the viability of requests for funds. The program 
could not be implemented without the submission of project proposals, 
which provide the necessary information upon which funding decisions 
are based.
    Description of Respondents: Not-for-profit institutions; business 
or other for-profit; Federal Government; State, Local, or Tribal 
Government.
    Number of Respondents: 50.
    Frequency of Responses: Recordkeeping; Reporting: On occasion; 
annually.
    Total Burden Hours: 1600.

Ruth Brown,
Departmental Information Collection Clearance Officer.
[FR Doc. E9-14851 Filed 6-23-09; 8:45 am]
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