[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 205 (Wednesday, October 23, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Pages 63158-63159]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-24890]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Farm Service Agency


Information Collection; Guaranteed Farm Loan Program

AGENCY: Farm Service Agency, USDA.

ACTION: Notice of re-opening of a public comment period.

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SUMMARY: The Farm Service Agency (FSA) is reopening and extending the 
comment period for 60 days to allow interested individuals and 
organizations to comment on the extension and revision of a currently 
approved information collection associated with the Guaranteed Farm 
Loan Program. The amended estimate adds the merger of the information 
collection for the Land Contract Guarantee Program (0560-0279) into the 
Guaranteed Farm Loan Program. This information collection is used to 
make and service loans guaranteed by FSA to eligible farmers and 
ranchers by commercial lenders and to provide guarantees to the seller 
of a farm through the use of land contracts.

DATES: We will consider comments that we receive by December 23, 2013.

ADDRESSES: We invite you to submit comments on this notice. In your 
comments, include date, volume, and page number of this issue of the 
Federal Register. You may submit comments by any of the following 
methods:
     Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to: www.regulations.gov. 
Follow the online instructions for submitting comments.
     Mail: Trent Rogers, Senior Loan Specialist, USDA, FSA, 
Stop 0522, 1400 Independence Avenue SW., Washington, DC 20250.
    You may also send comments to the Desk Officer for Agriculture, 
Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, Office of Management and 
Budget, Washington, DC 20503. Copies of the information collection may 
be requested by contacting Trent Rogers at the above addresses.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Trent Rogers, Senior Loan Specialist, 
(202) 720-3889.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Description of Information Collection

    Title: Guaranteed Farm Loans.
    OMB Control Number: 0560-0155.
    Expiration Date of Approval: 01/31/2014.

[[Page 63159]]

    Type of Request: Extension with revision.
    Abstract: FSA published the original notice and request for 
comments in the Federal Register on Friday, August 7, 2013 (78 FR 
48135). The following information is being provided again and to amend 
the estimated total annual burden hours due to merger of two 
information collections.
    This information collected under OMB Number 0560-0155 is needed to 
effectively administer the FSA's general guaranteed farm loan programs. 
The information is collected by the FSA loan official in consultation 
with participating commercial lenders. The basic objective of the 
guaranteed loan program is to provide credit to applicants who are 
unable to obtain credit from lending institutions without a guarantee. 
The reporting requirements imposed on the public by the regulations at 
7 CFR part 762 are necessary to administer the guaranteed loan program 
in accordance with statutory requirements of the Consolidated Farm and 
Rural Development Act and are consistent with commonly performed 
lending practices.
    FSA also provides guarantees for loans made by private sellers of a 
farm or ranch on a land contract sales basis. This information is 
needed to effectively administer the FSA Land Contract Guarantee 
Program. Since this program is also a guarantee program, FSA is merging 
the annual burden hours into the general Guaranteed Loan Program 
information collection. The reporting requirements imposed on the 
public by the regulations at 7 CFR part 763 are necessary to administer 
the Land Contract Guaranteed Loan Program in accordance with statutory 
requirements of the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act and as 
specified in the 2008 Farm Bill. Collection of information after loans 
are made is necessary to protect the Government's financial interest.
    Overall, the number of respondents is estimated to increase by 458, 
the number of responses is estimated to decrease by 14,709, and the 
number of burden hours is estimated to decrease by 7,873 in comparison 
to the information that was published on August 7, 2013 (78 FR 48135). 
The changes are due to less usage of the interest assistance agreement 
form and merging the burden hours of the Land Contract Guarantee 
Program into the Guaranteed Loan Program information collection. The 
separate approval for OMB control number of 0560-0279 will discontinue 
when FSA receives OMB approval for the extension and revision of the 
OMB control number of 0560-0155.
    FSA believes that requesting additional time to comment on the 
notice is reasonable and provides the public the opportunity to comment 
on the information collection. As result of reopening and extension, 
the comment period will close on December 23, 2013. All comments from 
the original notice published August 7, 2013 will be automatically 
included with the additional comments submitted in the response to this 
notice.
    Estimate of Average Time To Respond: 62.2 minutes per response. The 
average travel time, which is included in the total annual burden, is 
estimated to be 1 hour per respondent
    Type of Respondents: Farmers and ranchers.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 16,183.
    Estimated Number of Report Filed per Respondent: 15.7.
    Estimated Total Annual Number of Responses: 243,977.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 253,097.
    We are requesting comments on all aspects of this information 
collection to help us to:
    (1) Evaluate whether the collection of information is necessary for 
the proper performance of the functions of FSA, including whether the 
information will have practical utility;
    (2) Evaluate the accuracy of FSA's estimate of burden including the 
validity of the methodology and assumptions used;
    (3) Enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to 
be collected; and
    (4) 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.
    All responses to this notice, including name and addresses when 
provided, will be summarized and included in the request for OMB 
approval. All comments will also become a matter of public record.

    Signed on September 26, 2013.
Juan M. Garcia,
Administrator, Farm Service Agency.
[FR Doc. 2013-24890 Filed 10-22-13; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-05-P