[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 40 (Thursday, February 28, 2019)]
[Notices]
[Pages 6765-6766]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-03498]
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Notices
Federal Register
________________________________________________________________________
This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER contains documents other than rules
or proposed rules that are applicable to the public. Notices of hearings
and investigations, committee meetings, agency decisions and rulings,
delegations of authority, filing of petitions and applications and agency
statements of organization and functions are examples of documents
appearing in this section.
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Federal Register / Vol. 84, No. 40 / Thursday, February 28, 2019 /
Notices
[[Page 6765]]
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
National Agricultural Statistics Service
Notice of Intent To Request Revision and Extension of a Currently
Approved 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 seek reinstatement of the 2019 Organic Survey.
Response to this survey will be mandatory.
DATES: Comments on this notice must be received by April 29, 2019 to be
assured of consideration.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments, identified by docket number 0535-
0249, 2019 Organic Survey, by any of the following methods:
Email: [email protected]. Include docket number
above in the subject line of the message.
E-fax: (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: Kevin L. Barnes, Associate
Administrator, National Agricultural Statistics Service, U.S.
Department of Agriculture, (202) 720-2707. Copies of this information
collection and related instructions can be obtained without charge from
David Hancock, NASS--OMB Clearance Officer, at (202) 690-2388 or at
[email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Title: Organic Survey.
OMB Control Number: 0535-0249.
Type of Request: Intent to Seek Reinstatement of an Information
Collection.
Abstract: The primary objective of the National Agricultural
Statistics Service (NASS) is to 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. In 2015, NASS conducted the 2014 Organic Production
Survey (OMB #0535-0249). Originally, the Organic Survey was designed to
be conducted once every five years as a mandatory, follow-on-survey to
the 2007 Census of Agriculture and then every five years after that. In
2011, the docket was renewed, and the survey was changed to accommodate
a cooperative agreement between NASS and the USDA Risk Management
Agency (RMA). Specifically, the survey was changed to a voluntary
survey that was to be conducted annually if funding permitted, and it
would allow for a rotation of target crops each year. With the
completion of the 2012 Census of Agriculture, NASS renewed the Organic
Survey again and returned it to its' original scope of questions and
the mandatory reporting requirement. After the completion of the 2014
Organic Survey, NASS renewed its' cooperative agreement with RMA to
conduct the shorter questionnaire on an annual basis. Following the
2017 Census of Agriculture, NASS is requesting to reinstate this survey
as a follow-on survey with mandatory reporting.
The sample will consist of all certified organic operations,
operations exempt from organic certification (value of sales <$5,000),
and operations with acres transitioning into organic certification from
the 2017 Census of Agriculture as well as organic operations currently
on the NASS list frame. The survey will be conducted in all States.
Some operation level data will be collected to use in classifying each
operation for summary purposes. The majority of the questions will
involve production data (acres planted, acres harvested, quantity
harvested, quantity sold, livestock produced and sold, value of sale,
etc.), and marketing and production practices. In the 2019
questionnaire, NASS is planning to remove the ``GMO Presence in Organic
Crops'' and the ``Production Expenses'' sections that were included in
the 2014 questionnaire.
Approximately 20,000 operations will be contacted by mail in early
January 2020, with a second mailing later in the month to non-
respondents. Respondents will be able to complete the questionnaire by
use of the internet, if they so choose. Telephone and personal
enumeration will be used for remaining non-response follow-up. The
National Agricultural Statistics Service will publish summaries in
December 2020 at both the State level and for each major organic
commodity when possible. Due to confidentiality rules, some State level
data may be combined and published at the regional or national level to
prevent disclosure of individual operation's data.
This collection of data will support requirements within the
Agricultural Act of 2014.
Under Section 11023 some of the duties of the Federal Crop
Insurance Corporation (FCIC) are defined as ``(i) IN GENERAL--As soon
as possible, but not later than the 2015 reinsurance year, the
Corporation shall offer producers of organic crops price elections for
all organic crops produced in compliance with standards issued by the
Department of Agriculture under the national organic program
established under the Organic Foods Production Act of 1990 (7 U.S.C.
6501 et seq.) that reflect the actual retail or wholesale prices, as
appropriate, received by producers for organic crops, as determined by
the Secretary using all relevant sources of information. ``(ii) ANNUAL
REPORT.--The Corporation shall submit to the Committee on Agriculture
of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Agriculture,
Nutrition, and Forestry of the Senate an annual report on progress made
in developing and improving Federal crop insurance for organic crops,
including--``(I) the numbers and varieties of organic crops insured;
``(II) the progress of implementing the price elections required under
this subparagraph, including the rate at which additional price
elections are adopted for organic crops; ``(III) the development of new
insurance
[[Page 6766]]
approaches relevant to organic producers; and ``(IV) any
recommendations the Corporation considers appropriate to improve
Federal crop insurance coverage for organic crops''.
Authority: This census of organic farmers is required by law under
the ``Census of Agriculture Act of 1997,'' Public Law 105-113, 7 U.S.C.
2204(g) as amended. These data will be collected under the 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
as amended, 7 U.S.C. 2276, which requires USDA to afford strict
confidentiality to non-aggregated data provided by respondents. 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 45 minutes per response.
Respondents: Farmers and Ranchers.
Estimated Number of Respondents: 20,000.
Estimated Total Annual Burden on Respondents: 16,000 hours (based
on an estimated 80% response rate, using 2 mail attempts, followed by
phone and personal enumeration for non-respondents).
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, including 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, February 13, 2019.
Kevin L. Barnes,
Associate Administrator.
[FR Doc. 2019-03498 Filed 2-27-19; 8:45 am]
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