[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 111 (Friday, June 8, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 34010-34011]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-13951]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

National Agricultural Statistics Service


Notice of Opportunity To Submit Comment on the Public Release 
Time of Several Major USDA Statistical Reports

AGENCY: National Agricultural Statistics Service and Office of the 
Chief Economist, Department of Agriculture.

ACTION: Notice and request for stakeholder input.

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SUMMARY: The National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) and the 
Office of the Chief Economist are currently accepting stakeholder input 
on the public release time and procedures of several major USDA 
statistical reports.

DATES: Comments on this notice must be received by July 9, 2012 to be 
assured of consideration.

ADDRESSES: Requests must address items listed in comments section 
below. Please submit comments via the Internet at https://www.agcounts.usda.gov/optin/136771, or via mail to: USDA-NASS, 
Agricultural Statistics Board Chair, 1400 Independence Ave. SW., Room 
5029, Washington, DC 20250.
    If you have any questions, send an email to 
[email protected] or call 1-800-727-9540.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Joseph T. Reilly, Associate 
Administrator, National Agricultural Statistics Service, U.S. 
Department of Agriculture, (202) 720-4333, Fax: 202-720-9013, or email: 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: USDA's National Agricultural Statistics 
Service and the Office of the Chief Economist are seeking comments on 
the release time of several of their major statistical reports. USDA 
statistical report release times are affected for the following 
reports: ``World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates'', 
``Acreage'', ``Cattle'', ``Cattle on Feed'', ``Crop Production'', 
``Grain Stocks'', ``Prospective Plantings'', ``Quarterly Hogs and 
Pigs'', and ``Small Grain Summary''. The current release times of 8:30 
a.m. and 3 p.m. ET will remain unchanged until official comments are 
considered. Under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) and the Office 
of Management and Budget (OMB) Statistical Policy Directives 3 and 4,

[[Page 34011]]

rules are in place to regulate the public's access to federally 
generated statistics. With nearly round-the-clock commodities trading 
in the United States now underway, the agencies want to hear from all 
parties who use federal agricultural statistics so that we best meet 
their needs while upholding our responsibility to provide equal access 
to data. The agencies will carefully consider all input on the time of 
report releases. The 2012 official published schedule for all NASS 
reports is available online at www.nass.usda.gov/Publications/index.asp. The World Agricultural Outlook Board (WAOB) report schedule 
is available at www.usda.gov/oce/commodity/wasde.
    Comments: Please address the following questions when submitting 
your comments:
    1. What is your preferred time of day (EDT) for report release?
    2. Why is this time preferred?
    3. Who are the data users impacted by this recommended time change?
    4. How will this change impact these data users?
    5. How are the data used when received at the current release time?
    6. Other comments.
    All responses to this notice will become a matter of public record 
and be summarized and considered by NASS and the Office of the Chief 
Economist in preparing any recommendation(s).

    Signed at Washington, DC, May 24, 2012.
Joseph T. Reilly,
Associate Administrator.
[FR Doc. 2012-13951 Filed 6-7-12; 8:45 am]
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