[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 18 (Thursday, January 27, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 4862-4864]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-1792]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

National Agricultural Statistics Service


Notice of Intent To Reinstate a Previously Approved 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

[[Page 4863]]

(NASS) to request a reinstatement, with changes, to a previously 
approved information collection, the Distiller's Grains Survey. 
Revision to burden hours will be needed due to changes in the size of 
the target population (expanding from 12 States to 48 States), sampling 
design, and/or questionnaire length. The title of the information 
collection has been changed to Distiller's By-products Survey, to 
encompass both grain and non-grain commodities.

DATES: Comments on this notice must be received by March 28, 2011 to be 
assured of consideration.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments, identified by docket number 0535-
0247, 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: 
David Hancock, NASS Clearance Officer, U.S. Department of Agriculture, 
Room 5336 South Building, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 
20250-2024.
     Hand Delivery/Courier: Hand deliver to: David Hancock, 
NASS Clearance Officer, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Room 5336 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: Distillers By-products Survey.
    OMB Control Number: 0535-0247.
    Expiration Date of Previous Approval: August 31, 2009.
    Type of Request: To reinstate a previous approval for an 
information collection for a period of three years.
    Abstract: The primary objective of the National Agricultural 
Statistics Service (NASS) is to prepare and issue State and national 
estimates of crop and livestock production, prices, and disposition as 
well as economic statistics, farm numbers, land values, on-farm 
pesticide usage, pest crop management practices, as well as the Census 
of Agriculture. The goal of this NASS project is to conduct a large-
scale survey to measure livestock producers' use of distiller's grains 
and other crops, which are nutritional by-products of distilling 
processes, such as ethyl alcohol (ethanol) or biodiesel production.
    The Energy Independence and Security Act (EISA) of 2007 established 
targets for the production of biofuel in the United States. EISA 
specifies a minimum total amount of U.S. cellulosic and other biofuel 
production to reach 20 billion gallons by 2022. The Renewable Fuel 
Standard (RFS) passed as a part of the EISA, sets target levels for 
fuels produced from specific feedstock categories.
    As more ethanol or biofuels are produced, there are also important 
by-products of the milling and/or fermentation processes: Distillers 
grains and distillers crops. These distillers by-products contain 
valuable protein, fiber, vitamins, and minerals and can be utilized as 
quality livestock feed. Many of the distillers by-products have a 
higher nutrition ratio than traditional feed stocks. Distillers by-
products were traditionally sold to livestock operations in the 
vicinity of ethanol plants. Recent improvements in the milling and 
drying process have allowed a large portion of the by-products to be 
marketed in many new regions of the U.S. Some of these products are 
being marketed in foreign countries. Marketing of the increasing volume 
of distillers by-products to more livestock producers would generate 
additional sales for the distillers, contributing to plant stability 
and profitability.
    Three small-scale studies of distillers grains were conducted in 
2003 by the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship in 
partnership with the USDA/Federal-State Market Improvement Program. A 
status and assessment survey was conducted for each segment of the 
industry--ethanol producers, feed companies and marketers, and 
livestock feeders--to obtain data such as operation profiles, types and 
quantities of distillers grains, product qualities, volume of sales, 
pricing, storage facilities, marketing channels, plant services, 
transportation requirements, species fed, and feed ratios. In its 
summary report, which was disseminated at conferences and workshops, 
the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship noted that 
ethanol plants ``must be able to sell their distillers grains, not just 
dispose of them. * * * It is an excellent product and more livestock 
feeders must be educated about its benefits and encouraged to make it a 
vital and substantial part of their feeding rations.'' To facilitate 
the marketing of distillers grains locally, regionally, and globally, 
the Department concluded that: (1) The nation's livestock feeders must 
be surveyed and tracked; different surveys should be administered to 
target feeders in States with the largest concentrations of specific 
species. (2) Any barriers to usage must be addressed. (3) The customer 
base must be expanded and the feed usage increased. (4) Distillers by-
products promotions and education must be greatly expanded to match the 
increased levels of distillers by-products being produced.
    The survey will contact livestock and poultry operations to 
determine the extent of feeding of distiller's by-products, and aspects 
on which producers base their decisions regarding livestock and poultry 
feed, such as nutrient values, product consistency, product form, 
product testing, inclusion rates, economics, shelf life, storage, and 
transportation. The probability-based survey will include beef (cow/
calf and feedlot), dairy, swine, and poultry species with targeted 
size-of-operation criteria. The survey will be conducted in all States 
except Alaska and Hawaii. The survey reference date for this survey 
will be the calendar year of 2011. Approximately 70,000 operations will 
be contacted by mail in early January 2012, with a second mailing to 
non-respondents. In February and March telephone and personal 
enumeration will be used for any remaining non-respondents. The 
National Agricultural Statistics Service plans to publish summaries in 
September 2012 at the State level when possible for each livestock 
species. Some State level data may need to be published on regional or 
national level due to confidentiality rules. Many of the figures will 
be proportions or percentages which will allow statistical comparisons 
among operations not feeding distillers grains.
    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 
as amended, 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, Public Law 104-13 (44 U.S.C. 3501, et seq.) and Office of 
Management and Budget regulations at 5 CFR part 1320. NASS also 
complies with OMB Implementation Guidance, ``Implementation Guidance 
for Title V of the E-Government Act, Confidential Information 
Protection and Statistical Efficiency Act of 2002 (CIPSEA),'' Federal 
Register, Vol. 72, No. 115, June 15, 2007, p. 33362.
    Estimate of Burden: Public reporting burden for this collection of 
information is estimated to average 20 minutes per response.
    Respondents: Farmers and ranchers.
    Estimated Annual Number of Respondents: 70,000.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden on Respondents: 12,100 hours.

[[Page 4864]]

    Copies of this information collection and related instructions can 
be obtained without charge from David Hancock, NASS Clearance Officer, 
at (202) 690-2388.
    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 through the use of appropriate 
automated, electronic, mechanical, technological or other forms of 
information technology collection methods.
    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, January 6, 2011.
Joseph T. Reilly,
Associate Administrator.
[FR Doc. 2011-1792 Filed 1-26-11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-20-P