[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 77 (Monday, April 22, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Pages 23737-23738]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-09383]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Agricultural Marketing Service

[Doc. No. AMS-LS-13-0017]


Request for Extension and Revision of a Currently Approved 
Information Collection for Commodities Covered by the Livestock 
Mandatory Act of 1999

AGENCY: Agricultural Marketing Service, USDA.

ACTION: Request for comments.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 
U.S.C. Chapter 35), this document announces the Agricultural Marketing 
Service's (AMS) intention to request approval, from the Office of 
Management and Budget, for an extension of and revision to the 
currently approved information collection used to compile and generate 
cattle, swine, lamb, wholesale pork, and boxed beef market news reports 
under the Livestock Mandatory Reporting Act of 1999.

DATES: Comments on this document must be received by June 21, 2013 to 
be assured of consideration.

ADDRESSES: Interested persons are invited to submit comments concerning 
this information collection document. Comments should be submitted 
online at www.regulations.gov or sent to Kim Harmon, Assistant to the 
Director, Livestock, Poultry and Grain Market News Division, Livestock, 
Poultry and Seed Program, Agricultural Marketing Service, U.S. 
Department of Agriculture, 1400 Independence Ave. SW., Room 2619-S, 
Washington, DC 20250-0252, or by facsimile to (202) 690-3732. All 
comments should reference the docket number (AMS-LS-13-0017), the date, 
and the page number of this issue of the Federal Register. All comments 
received will be posted without change, including any personal 
information provided, online at http://

[[Page 23738]]

www.regulations.gov and will be made available for public inspection at 
the above physical address during regular business hours.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Kim Harmon at the above physical 
address, by telephone (202) 720-8054, or by email at 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    Title: Livestock Mandatory reporting Act of 1999.
    OMB Number: 0581-0186.
    Expiration Date of Approval: December 31, 2013.
    Type of Request: Extension of a currently approved information 
collection.
    Abstract: The 1999 Act was enacted into law on October 22, 1999, 
(Pub. L. 106-78; 7 U.S.C. 1635-1636i), as an amendment to the 
Agricultural Marketing Act of 1946 (7 U.S.C. 1621-1627). The 1999 Act 
as originally passed provided for the mandatory reporting of market 
information by federally inspected livestock processing plants that 
have slaughtered an average number of livestock during the immediately 
preceding 5 calendar years (125,000 for cattle and 100,000 for swine), 
including any processing plant that did not slaughter during the 
immediately preceding 5 calendar years if the Secretary determines that 
the plant should be considered a packer based on the plant's capacity. 
For entities that did not slaughter during the immediately preceding 5 
calendar years, such as a new plant or existing plant that begins 
operations, AMS projects the plant's annual slaughter or production 
based upon the plant's estimate of annual slaughter capacity to 
determine which entities meet the definition of packer as defined in 
the regulation. The 1999 Act also gave the Secretary the latitude to 
provide for the reporting of lamb information. Federally inspected lamb 
processing plants that slaughtered an average of 75,000 head of lambs 
or processed an average of 75,000 lamb carcasses during the immediately 
preceding 5 calendar years were required to submit information to AMS. 
Additionally, a lamb processing plant that did not slaughter an average 
of 75,000 lambs or process an average of 75,000 lamb carcasses during 
the immediately preceding 5 calendar years was required to report 
information if the Secretary determined the processing plant should be 
considered a packer based on its capacity. In addition, the Act also 
established that for any calendar year, an importer of lamb that 
imported an average of 2,500 metric tons of lamb meat products during 
the immediately preceding 5 calendar years was required to report 
information on the domestic sales of imported boxed lamb cuts. 
Additionally, an importer that did not import an average of 2,500 
metric tons of lamb meat products during the immediately preceding 5 
calendar years was required to report information if the Secretary 
determined that the person should be considered an importer based on 
their volume of lamb imports. The regulations implementing the Act 
appear at 7 CFR part 59.
    The 1999 Act was reauthorized in October 2006, which re-established 
the regulatory authority and amended the swine reporting requirements 
to include swine packers that slaughtered an average of at least 
200,000 sows, boars, and or combination thereof per year during the 
immediately preceding 5 calendar years. On May 16, 2008, AMS published 
a final rule (75 FR 28606) implementing the same.
    September 28, 2010, the Mandatory Price Reporting Act reauthorized 
LMR for an additional 5 years and added a provision for mandatory 
reporting of wholesale pork cuts.
    The reports that are generated by the 1999 Act are used by other 
Government agencies to evaluate market conditions and calculate price 
levels, such as USDA's Economic Research Service and World Agricultural 
Outlook Board. Economists at most major agricultural colleges and 
universities use the reports to make short and long-term market 
projections. Also, the Government is a large purchaser of livestock 
related products. A system to monitor the collection and reporting of 
data therefore is needed.
    The information must be collected, compiled, and disseminated by an 
impartial third-party, in a manner which protects the confidentiality 
of the reporting entities. AMS is in the best position to provide this 
service.
    Estimate of Burden: Public reporting burden for this collection of 
information is estimated to average .171 hours per response.
    Respondents: Business or other for-profit entities, individuals or 
households, farms, and the Federal Government.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 422 respondents.
    Estimated Number Responses: 138,684 responses.
    Estimated Number of Responses per Respondent: 329 responses.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden on Respondents: 23,779 hours.
    Comments are invited on: (1) 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; (2) 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; (3) ways to enhance the quality, 
utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; and (4) ways 
to minimize the burden of the collection of information on those who 
are to respond, including the use of appropriate automated, electronic, 
mechanical, or other technological collection techniques or other forms 
of information technology.
    All responses to this document will be summarized and included in 
the request for OMB approval. All comments will become a matter of 
public record.

    Dated: April 16, 2013.
David R. Shipman,
Administrator, Agricultural Marketing Service.
[FR Doc. 2013-09383 Filed 4-19-13; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-02-P