[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 42 (Friday, March 2, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Page 8963]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-04292]


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 Notices
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  Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 42 / Friday, March 2, 2018 / 
Notices  

[[Page 8963]]



DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request


February 27, 2018

    The Department of Agriculture will submit the following information 
collection requirement(s) to OMB for review and clearance under the 
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, Public Law 104-13 on or after the date 
of publication of this notice. 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; and (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 should be addressed to: Desk 
Officer for Agriculture, Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, 
Office of Management and Budget (OMB), New Executive Office Building, 
Washington, DC; 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.
    Comments regarding these information collections are best assured 
of having their full effect if received by April 2, 2018. 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: 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 statute 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. In addition NASS has been contacted by several state 
cooperators to conduct projected yield studies for citrus, almonds, 
hazelnuts and walnuts. These fruit and nut surveys will be conducted 
through cooperative agreements with the states and will be totally 
funded by the individual states. The yield estimates for all of these 
crops are extremely important because they are 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. The fruit and nut data will be used by 
the State Departments of Agriculture and commodity marketing boards to 
make informed decisions concerning the stocks and marketing of these 
commodities.
    Description of Respondents: Farms and businesses or other for-
profit operations.
    Number of Respondents: 15,850.
    Frequency of Responses: Reporting: Monthly during growing season or 
annually.
    Total Burden Hours: 5,456.

Ruth Brown,
Departmental Information Collection Clearance Officer.
[FR Doc. 2018-04292 Filed 3-1-18; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3410-20-P