[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 241 (Monday, December 18, 2017)]
[Notices]
[Pages 60000-60001]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2017-27177]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

National Agricultural Statistics Service


Notice of Intent To Request Approval To Revise and Extend an 
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 approval to revise and extend a currently 
approved information collection, the Milk and Milk Products Surveys. 
Revision to burden hours may be needed due to changes in the size of 
the target population, sample design, and/or questionnaire length.

DATES: Comments on this notice must be received by February 16, 2018 to 
be assured of consideration.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments, identified by docket number 0535-
0020, 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: 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 Clearance Officer, at (202) 690-2388 or at 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 
    Title: Milk and Milk Products Surveys.
    OMB Control Number: 0535-0020.
    Expiration Date of Approval: July 31, 2018.
    Type of Request: To revise and extend a currently approved 
information collection for a period of three years.
    Abstract: The primary objective of the National Agricultural 
Statistics Service (NASS) is to collect, 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 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, dairy products, evaporated and 
condensed milk, manufactured dry milk, and manufactured whey products. 
Milk production and manufactured dairy products statistics are used by 
the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to help administer federal 
programs and by the dairy industry in planning, pricing, and projecting 
supplies of milk and milk products. Only minor changes are

[[Page 60001]]

planned for the questionnaires and sample sizes. The Milk Production 
Survey will continue to be conducted quarterly (January, April, July, 
and October) and monthly estimates for the non-quarterly months will 
still be published for the total number of dairy cows, the number of 
cows milked, and the total milk produced. Estimates for the non-survey 
months will be generated by using a combination of administrative data, 
regression modeling, and historic data. In April 2012 NASS discontinued 
the collection of Dairy Product Prices. This data is now collected by 
the Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) in compliance with the 
Mandatory Price Reporting Act of 2010, and the amended section 273(d) 
of the Agricultural Marketing Act of 1946.
    Authority: Voluntary dairy information reporting is conducted under 
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.
    Mandatory dairy product information reporting is based on the 
Agricultural Marketing Act of 1946, as amended by the Dairy Market 
Enhancement Act of 2000 and the Farm Security and Rural Development Act 
of 2002 (U.S.C. 1637-1637b). This program requires each manufacturer to 
report to USDA 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. Any manufacturer 
that processes, markets, or stores less than 1,000,000 pounds of dairy 
products per year is exempt. USDA is required to maintain information, 
statistics, or documents obtained under these Acts in a manner that 
ensures that confidentiality is preserved regarding the identity of 
persons and proprietary business information, subject to verification 
by the Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) under Public Law 106-532. 
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: Public reporting burden for this collection of 
information is estimated to average 11 minutes per response. This 
average is based on the 7 different surveys in the information 
collection: 2 monthly, 4 quarterly, and 1 annual. The estimated total 
number of responses is 63,100 annually, with an average annual 
frequency of 4.44 responses per respondent. NASS will continue to use 
cover letters to explain the importance and uses of this data series 
along with how the respondent can access and report their data using 
the secure internet connection that NASS is using.
    Respondents: Farms and businesses.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 14,200.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden on Respondents: 11,000 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, 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, December 4, 2017.
R. Renee Picanso,
Associate Administrator.
[FR Doc. 2017-27177 Filed 12-15-17; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3410-20-P