[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 26 (Thursday, February 9, 2017)]
[Notices]
[Page 9984]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2017-02687]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE


Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request

February 6, 2017.
    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 
are requested regarding (1) 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; (2) the 
accuracy of the agency's estimate of burden including the validity of 
the methodology and assumptions used; (3) ways to enhance the quality, 
utility and clarity of the information to be collected; (4) 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 March 
13, 2017 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 Agriculture Statistics Service

    Title: Cotton Ginning Survey.
    OMB Control Number: 0535-0220.
    Summary of Collection: The primary objective of the National 
Agricultural Statistics Services (NASS) is to collect, prepare and 
issue state and national estimates of crop and livestock production, 
disposition and prices as well as specialty agricultural and 
environmental statistics. The Cotton Ginning Survey provides statistics 
concerning cotton ginning for specific dates and geographic regions and 
aids in forecasting cotton production. The Cotton Ginning surveys 
obtain data mandated under U.S.C. Title 13, Section 42(a). General 
authority for these data collection activities is granted under U.S. 
Code Title 7, section 2204.
    Need and Use of the Information: The majority of data are collected 
by telephone, mail, and fax. All active gins for a given crop season in 
all 17 cotton producing states are included in the survey. The ginning 
data collected provides (1) all segments of the cotton industry--
buyers, brokers, crushers, shippers, textile firms, and researches with 
exact quantities of cotton available at specific geographic locations 
within the U.S. on a regular basis; (2) precise statistics, especially 
when at least 50 percent of the forecasted cotton production has been 
ginned in a state; and (3) final season ginning data is used to 
establish final production. If the information were collected less 
frequent, the cotton industry would be without county level quantities 
ginned that could seriously affect transportation costs and marketing 
strategies.
    Description of Respondents: Business or other for-profit.
    Number of Respondents: 650.
    Frequency of Responses: Reporting: Monthly, Semi-annually, 
Annually.
    Total Burden Hours: 1,277.

Charlene Parker,
Departmental Information Collection Clearance Officer.
[FR Doc. 2017-02687 Filed 2-8-17; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3410-20-P