[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 54 (Friday, March 20, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Page 14905]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-06368]


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 Notices
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  Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 54 / Friday, March 20, 2015 / 
Notices  

[[Page 14905]]



DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE


Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request

March 16, 2015.
    The Department of Agriculture has submitted the following 
information collection requirement(s) to OMB for review and clearance 
under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, Public Law 104-13. Comments 
regarding (a) whether the 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 burden including the validity of the 
methodology and assumptions used; (c) ways to enhance the quality, 
utility and clarity of the information to be collected; (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 or other technological collection techniques or 
other forms of information technology.
    Comments regarding this information collection received by April 
20, 2015 will be considered. Written comments should be addressed to: 
Desk Officer for Agriculture, Office of Information and Regulatory 
Affairs, Office of Management and Budget (OMB), New Executive Office 
Building, 725 17th Street NW., Washington, DC 20503. Commenters are 
encouraged to submit their comments to OMB via email to: 
[email protected] or fax (202) 395-5806 and to Departmental 
Clearance Office, USDA, OCIO, Mail Stop 7602, Washington, DC 20250-
7602. Copies of the submission(s) may be obtained by calling (202) 720-
8681.
    An agency may not conduct or sponsor a collection of information 
unless the collection of information displays a currently valid OMB 
control number and the agency informs potential persons who are to 
respond to the collection of information that such persons are not 
required to respond to the collection of information unless it displays 
a currently valid OMB control number.

National Agricultural Statistics Service

    Title: Milk and Milk Products.
    OMB Control Number: 0535-0020.
    Summary of Collection: The National Agricultural Statistics 
Service's (NASS) primary function is to prepare and issue current 
official state and national estimates of crop and livestock production, 
prices and disposition, and to collect information on related 
environmental, land values, farm numbers, and other economic factors. 
Estimates of milk production and manufactured dairy products are an 
integral part of this program. Milk and dairy statistics are used by 
the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to help administer price 
support programs and by the dairy industry in planning, pricing, and 
projecting supplies of milk and milk products. The general authority 
for these data collection activities is granted under U.S. Code title 
7, section 2204. The legislative actions which affect these surveys are 
the ``Dairy Market Enhancement Act of 2000,'' U.S. Code title 7, 
section 1621, and Public Law 106-532 which changed the program from 
voluntary to mandatory for reporting the moisture content of cheddar 
cheese plus the price and quantity of cheddar cheese, butter, non-fat 
dry milk, and dry whey.
    In April 2012 the authority for collecting Dairy Product Prices was 
moved from NASS to the Agricultural Marketing Service.
    Need and Use of the Information: NASS will collect information 
quarterly with the Milk Production Survey. The monthly Milk and Milk 
Products surveys obtain basic agricultural statistics on milk 
production and manufactured dairy products from farmers and processing 
plants throughout the nation. Data are gathered for milk production, 
evaporated and condensed milk, dairy products, manufactured dry milk 
and manufactured whey products. Estimates of total milk production, 
number of milk cow, and milk production per cow, are used by the dairy 
industry in planning, pricing, and projecting supplies of milk and milk 
products. The mandatory dairy product information reporting requires 
each manufacturer to report the price, quantity and moisture content of 
dairy products sold and each entity storing dairy products to report 
information on the quantity of dairy products stored. Collecting data 
less frequently would prevent USDA and the agricultural industry from 
keeping abreast of changes at the State and national level.
    Description of Respondents: Farms; Business or other for-profit.
    Number of Respondents: 14,200.
    Frequency of Responses: Reporting: Quarterly; Monthly; Annually.
    Total Burden Hours: 10,035.

National Agricultural Statistics Service

    Title: Field Crops Objective Yield.
    OMB Control Number: 0535-0088.
    Summary of Collection: The primary function of the National 
Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) is to prepare and issue current 
official State and national estimates of crop and livestock production. 
General authority for these data collection activities is granted under 
U.S. Code title 7, section 2204. This statue specifies the ``The 
Secretary of Agriculture shall procure and preserve all information 
concerning agriculture which he can obtain . . . by the collection of 
statistics . . . and shall distribute them among agriculturists''. Data 
collected provides yield estimates for corn, cotton, potatoes, soybeans 
and winter wheat. The yield estimates are extremely important because 
they're used in conjunction with price data to estimate production and 
in making policy decisions in agricultural sectors.
    Need and Use of the Information: NASS will collect information on 
sample fields of, corn, cotton, potatoes, soybeans, and winter wheat. 
The information will be used by USDA to anticipate loan receipts and 
pricing of loan stocks for grains. Farmers and businesses use the 
production estimates in marketing decisions to evaluate expected prices 
and to determine when to sell.
    Description of Respondents: Farms.
    Number of Respondents: 8,000.
    Frequency of Responses: Reporting: Monthly during growing season.
    Total Burden Hours: 2,820.

Charlene Parker,
Departmental Information Collection Clearance Officer.
[FR Doc. 2015-06368 Filed 3-19-15; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3410-29-P