[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 29 (Thursday, February 12, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 7827-7828]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-02943]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

National Agricultural Statistics Service


Notice of Intent To Seek Approval To Revise and Extend a 
Currently Approved 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 request revision and extension of a currently 
approved information collection, the Agricultural Resources Management 
Survey and Chemical Use Surveys. A revision to burden hours will be 
needed due to changes in the size of the target population, sampling 
design, and/or questionnaire length.

DATES: Comments on this notice must be received by April 13, 2015 to be 
assured of consideration.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments, identified by docket number 0535-
0218, 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.

[[Page 7828]]

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: R. Renee Picanso, Associate 
Administrator, National Agricultural Statistics Service, U.S. 
Department of Agriculture, (202) 720-4333. Copies of this information 
collection and related instructions can be obtained without charge from 
David Hancock, NASS--OMB Clearance Officer, at (202) 690-2388 or at 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 
    Title: Agricultural Resources Management Survey and Chemical Use 
Surveys.
    OMB Control Number: 0535-0218.
    Expiration Date of Current Approval: October 31, 2015.
    Type of Request: Intent to revise and extend a currently approved 
information collection.
    Abstract: The Agricultural Resource Management Survey(s) (ARMS) are 
the primary source of information for the U.S. Department of 
Agriculture on a broad range of issues related to: production 
practices, costs and returns, pest management, chemical usage, and 
contractor expenses. Data is collected on both a whole farm level and 
on selected commodities.
    ARMS is the only source of information available for objective 
evaluation of many critical issues related to agriculture and the rural 
economy, such as: whole farm finance data, including data sufficient to 
construct estimates of income for farms by: type of operation, loan 
commodities, income for operator households, credit, structure, and 
organization; marketing information; and other economic data on input 
usage, production practices, and crop substitution possibilities.
    Data from ARMS are used to produce estimates of net farm income by 
type of commercial producer as required in 7 U.S.C. 7998 as amended and 
estimates of enterprise production costs as required in 7 U.S.C. 
1441(a) as amended. Data from ARMS are also used as weights in the 
development of the Prices Paid Index, a component of the Parity Index 
referred to in the Agricultural Adjustment Act of 1938, as amended. 
These indexes are used to calculate the annual federal grazing fee 
rates as described in the Public Rangelands Improvement Act of 1978 and 
Executive Order 12548 and as promulgated in regulations found at 36 CFR 
222.51, as amended.
    In addition, ARMS is used to produce estimates of sector-wide 
production expenditures and other components of income that are used in 
constructing the estimates of income and value-added which are 
transmitted to the U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of Economic 
Analysis, by the USDA Economic Research Service (ERS) for use in 
constructing economy-wide estimates of Gross Domestic Product. This 
transmittal of data, prepared using the ARMS, is undertaken to satisfy 
a 1956 agreement between the Office of Management and Budget and the 
Departments of Agriculture and Commerce that a single set of estimates 
be published on farm income.
    Chemical Use Surveys: Congress has mandated that NASS and ERS build 
nationally coordinated databases on agricultural chemical use and 
related farm practices; these databases are the primary vehicles used 
to produce specified environmental and economic estimates. The surveys 
will help provide the knowledge and technical means for producers and 
researchers to address on-farm environmental concerns in a manner that 
maintains agricultural productivity.
    In this approval request, there are three significant program 
changes. First, the Fruit Chemical Use Survey will be reinstated in 
rotation with the Vegetable Chemical Use Survey. These two surveys will 
be conducted in alternating years. Second, starting in October 2015, 
data on Microbial Food Safety Practices used by farmers will be 
collected on both the Vegetable and Fruit Chemical Use Surveys. 
Finally, a new annual survey will be added to collect data on the 
Microbial Food Safety Practices--Packer Survey.

    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 (at 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: Public reporting burden for this collection of 
information is estimated to average approximately 45 minutes per 
survey.
    Respondents: Farmers, ranchers, farm managers, farm contractors, 
and farm households.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: Approximately 90,000 respondents 
will be sampled each year. Over half of these respondents will be 
contacted more than one time in a single year.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden on Respondents: Approximately 85,000 
hours per year.
    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, 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, January 30, 2015.
R. Renee Picanso,
Associate Administrator.
[FR Doc. 2015-02943 Filed 2-11-15; 8:45 am]
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