[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 235 (Tuesday, December 8, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 76263-76264]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-30876]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

National Agricultural Statistics Service


Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request

December 2, 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 January 
7, 2016 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: Egg, Chicken, and Turkey Surveys.
    Omb Control Number: 0535-0004.
    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. 
Thousands of farmers, ranchers, agribusinesses and others voluntarily 
respond to nationwide surveys about crops, livestock, prices, and other 
agricultural activities. Estimates of egg, chicken, and turkey 
production are in an integral part of this program. 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 she can obtain . . . by the collection of statistics 
. . . and shall distribute them among agriculturists''. Information 
published from the surveys in this docket is needed by USDA economists 
and government policy makers to ensure the orderly marketing of broiler 
chickens, turkeys and eggs.
    Need and Use of the Information: Statistics on these poultry 
products contribute to a comprehensive program of keeping the 
government and poultry industry abreast of anticipated changes. All of 
the poultry reports are used by producers, processors, feed dealers, 
and others in the marketing and supply channels as a basis for their 
production and marketing decisions. Government agencies use these 
estimates to evaluate poultry product supplies.
    Description of Respondents: Farms; Business or other for profit.
    Number of Respondents: 2,034.
    Frequency of Responses: Reporting: Weekly; Monthly; Annually.
    Total Burden Hours: 2,493.

    Title: Stocks Reports.
    Omb Control Number: 0535-0007.
    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, 
stocks, disposition, and prices. As part of this function, estimates 
are made for stocks of off-farm grains and oilseeds, potatoes, peanuts, 
hops, and rice. Grain and oilseed stocks in all positions (on-farm and 
off-farm) are estimated quarterly. Grain stock estimates are one of the 
most important NASS estimates, which are watched closely by growers and 
industry groups. General authority for data collection is granted under 
U.S. Code Title 7, Section 2204. The Hop Growers of America provides 
the data collection for much of the production information because of 
sensitivity issues an impartial third party, NASS, collects stocks and 
price information.
    Need and Use of the Information: NASS collects information to 
administer farm program legislation and make decisions relative to the 
export-import programs. Estimates of stocks provide essential 
statistics on supplies and contribute to orderly marketing. Farmers and 
agribusiness firms use these estimates in their production and 
marketing decisions. Collecting this information less frequently would 
eliminate data needed by the government, and industry and farmers to 
keep abreast of changes at the State and national level.
    Description of Respondents: Business or other for profit; Farms.
    Number of Respondents: 6,630.
    Frequency of Responses: Reporting: Monthly; Quarterly; Semi-
annually; Annually.
    Total Burden Hours: 5,581.

    Title: List Sampling Frame Survey.
    Omb Control Number: 0535-0140.
    Summary of Collection: General authority for these data collection 
activities is granted under U.S. Code Title 7, Section 2204 which 
specifies that ``The Secretary of Agriculture shall procure and 
preserve all information concerning agriculture which he can obtain . . 
. by the collection of statistics . . .''. The primary objective of the 
National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) is to provide data 
users with timely and reliable agricultural production and economic 
statistics, as well as environmental and specialty agricultural related 
statistics. To accomplish this objective, NASS relies heavily on the 
use of sample surveys statistically drawn from ``List Sampling

[[Page 76264]]

Frame.'' The List Sampling Frame is a database of names and addresses, 
with control data, that contains the components values from which these 
samples can be drawn.
    Need and Use of the Information: The List Sampling Frame Surveys 
are used to develop and maintain a complete list of possible farm 
operations. Data from criteria surveys are used to provide control data 
for new records on the list sampling frame. This information is 
utilized to define the size of operation, define sample populations and 
establish eligibility for the Census of Agriculture. New names and 
addresses of potential farms are obtained on a regular basis from 
growers association, other government agencies and various outside 
sources. The goal is to produce for each State a relatively complete, 
current, and unduplicated list of names for statistical sampling for 
agricultural operation surveys and the Census of Agriculture. This 
information is used to develop efficient sample designs, which allows 
NASS the ability to draw reduced sample sizes from the originally large 
universe populations.
    Description of Respondents: Farms.
    Number of Respondents: 164,000.
    Frequency of Responses: Reporting: On occasion.
    Total Burden Hours: 40,219.

Charlene Parker,
Departmental Information Collection Clearance Officer.
[FR Doc. 2015-30876 Filed 12-7-15; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3410-20-P