[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 186 (Thursday, September 25, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 57503-57504]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-22831]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

National Agricultural Statistics Service


Notice of Intent To Request To Conduct a New 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 (NASS) to seek approval to conduct a new information 
collection, the Organic Certifiers Survey. This will be a voluntary 
survey that will be conducted annually.

DATES: Comments on this notice must be received by November 24, 2014 to 
be assured of consideration.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments, identified by docket number 0535-
NEW, by any of the following methods:
     Email: [email protected]. Include docket number 
above in the subject line of the message.
     eFax: (855) 838-6382.
     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: Renee Picanso, Associate 
Administrator, National Agricultural Statistics Service, U.S. 
Department of Agriculture, (202) 720-2707. Copies of this information 
collection and related instructions can be obtained without charge from 
David Hancock, NASS Clearance Officer, at (202) 690-2388.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 
    Title: Organic Certifiers Survey
    OMB Control Number: 0535-NEW
    Type of Request: Intent to seek approval to conduct a new 
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 sample will consist of all organizations that certify farm and 
ranch operations that have met the

[[Page 57504]]

Federal standards to be classified as organic producers. The survey 
will collect data for all States that have certified producers (crops 
and livestock). The survey will collect the number of operations that 
are certified organic for each State, along with the number of acres 
certified for the various crops, and the number of head of livestock 
and poultry certified as organic. The data will be used by NASS as 
administrative data so that future needs to collect organic data from 
farm and ranch operations can be kept to a minimum.
    The National Agricultural Statistics Service will publish summaries 
once a year at the State level and for each major organic commodity 
when possible. Due to confidentiality rules, some State level data may 
be combined and published at the regional or national level to prevent 
disclosure of individual operation's data.
    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, 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: This data collection will be done in a two step 
process. The first step will involve a personal visit from one of our 
State or Regional Field Office statisticians with the managers of these 
certifying organizations to introduce them to NASS and to discuss the 
data collection needs. NASS will also collect some basic profile 
information at that time. This initial visit should take approximately 
1 hour. The second step will involve the compiling and reporting of the 
data. In this second step it is estimated to take the respondent less 
than 15 hours to compile and report the data for their state(s). If the 
respondent would like to provide one of our field enumerators access to 
their data, we will compile the data for the respondent(s). The surveys 
will be voluntary and will be conducted once a year.
    Respondents: Organic certifying organizations
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 55
    Estimated Total Annual Burden on Respondents: Approximately 900 
hours
    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, September 11, 2014.
R. Renee Picanso,
Associate Administrator.
[FR Doc. 2014-22831 Filed 9-24-14; 8:45 am]
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