[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 81 (Thursday, April 26, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 18263-18264]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-08813]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE


Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request

April 23, 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 May 29, 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: 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. NASS will continue to collect milk production and manufactured 
dairy product data under this OMB approval.
    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

[[Page 18264]]

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: 18,850.
    Frequency of Responses: Reporting: Quarterly; Monthly; Annually.
    Total Burden Hours: 13,081.

Ruth Brown,
Departmental Information Collection Clearance Officer.
[FR Doc. 2018-08813 Filed 4-25-18; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3410-20-P