[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 101 (Wednesday, May 25, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Page 30303]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-12945]


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 Notices
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  Federal Register / Vol. 76, No. 101 / Wednesday, May 25, 2011 / 
Notices  

[[Page 30303]]



DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE


Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request

May 20, 2010.
    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), New Executive Office Building, 
Washington, DC; [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 publication of this notification. Copies of the 
submission(s) may be obtained by calling (202) 720-8681.
    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.

National Agricultural Statistics Service

    Title: Generic Clearance of Survey Improvement Projects.
    OMB Control Number: 0535-0248.
    Summary of Collection: The primary objectives of the National 
Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) are to prepare and issue State 
and national estimates of crop and livestock production, economic and 
environmental statistics related to agriculture and to conduct the 
Census of Agriculture under the general authority of Title 7 U.S.C. 
Sec. 2204. The purpose of this generic clearance is to allow NASS to 
continue to develop, test, evaluate, adopt, and use state-of-the-art 
techniques to cover a broad range of topics designed to improve NASS' 
data collection on agriculture.
    Need and Use of the Information: NASS will use a number of survey 
improvement techniques, as appropriate to the individual project under 
investigation. These include focus groups, cognitive and usability 
laboratory and field techniques, exploratory interviews, behavior 
coding, respondent debriefing, pilot surveys and split-panel tests. The 
information gathered will be used mainly for questionnaire development 
and other research and evaluation. Additionally, NASS anticipates the 
benefit of increased response rates through improved survey design; a 
goal tied directly to addressing OMB requirements for higher response 
rates and measurement of non-response bias.
    Description of Respondents: Farms.
    Number of Respondents: 3,300.
    Frequency of Responses: Reporting: On occasion.
    Total Burden Hours: 4,950.

National Agricultural Statistics Service

    Title: Organic Production Survey (OPS)
    OMB Control Number: 0535-0249.
    Summary of Collection: National Agricultural Statistics Services 
(NASS) is authorized under the authority of 7 U.S.C. 2204(a) to collect 
these data. The 2008 Farm Bill appropriated $1 million to NASS for 
assimilating and disseminating information. The 2011 Organic Production 
Survey (OPS) will be a follow-up survey to the 2008 OPS which was done 
as a follow-on survey to the 2007 Census of Agriculture Survey. The 
Risk Management Agency (RMA) has made a formal agreement to conduct 
this as an annual survey. The pilot survey year would be 2012 for the 
reference period 2011.
    Need and Use of the Information: The information is vital to RMA in 
determining insurance payments to certified organic farmers. More 
commodity specific questions will be incorporated that would be 
directed at different commodities each year. This survey will provide 
organic information on acreage in production, commodity, expenses, 
marketing practices (handling, distribution, retail, and consumer 
purchasing patterns), and prices received by organic producers. The 
survey will be conducted in all States. As part of the Organic Farming 
Initiatives, the data will be used to provide solid production and 
market data about the supply of key organic commodities.
    Description of Respondents: Farmers, ranchers and farm managers 
self identified as organic producers.
    Number of Respondents: 15,000.
    Frequency of Responses: Reporting: One time.
    Total Burden Hours: 5,719.

Charlene Parker,
Departmental Information Collection Clearance Officer.
[FR Doc. 2011-12945 Filed 5-24-11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-20-P