[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 80 (Thursday, April 25, 2019)]
[Notices]
[Pages 17375-17376]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-08351]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service

[Docket No. APHIS-2019-0021]


Notice of Request for Reinstatement of an Information Collection; 
National Animal Health Monitoring System; Swine 2020 Study

AGENCY: Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, USDA.

ACTION: Reinstatement of an information collection; comment request.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this 
notice announces the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service's 
intention to request the reinstatement of an information collection to 
conduct the National Animal Health Monitoring System's Swine 2020 
Study.

DATES: We will consider all comments that we receive on or before June 
24, 2019.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments by either of the following methods:
     Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to http://www.regulations.gov/#!docketDetail;D=APHIS-2019-0021.
     Postal Mail/Commercial Delivery: Send your comment to 
Docket No. APHIS-2019-0021, Regulatory Analysis and Development, PPD, 
APHIS, Station 3A-03.8, 4700 River Road Unit 118, Riverdale, MD 20737-
1238.
    Supporting documents and any comments we receive on this docket may 
be viewed at http://www.regulations.gov/#!docketDetail;D=APHIS-2019-
0021 or in our reading room, which is located in Room 1141 of the USDA 
South Building, 14th Street and Independence Avenue SW, Washington, DC. 
Normal reading room hours are 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through 
Friday, except holidays. To be sure someone is there to help you, 
please call (202) 799-7039 before coming.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For information on the Swine 2020 
Study, contact Mr. Bill Kelley, Program Analyst, Center for 
Epidemiology and Animal Health, VS, 2150 Centre Avenue, Building B, 
Fort Collins, CO 80524; (970) 494-7270. For more

[[Page 17376]]

detailed information on the information collection, contact Ms. 
Kimberly Hardy, APHIS' Information Collection Coordinator, at (301) 
851-2483.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    Title: National Animal Health Monitoring System; Swine 2020 Study.
    OMB Control Number: 0579-0315.
    Type of Request: Reinstatement of an information collection.
    Abstract: Under the Animal Health Protection Act (7 U.S.C. 8301 et 
seq.), the Secretary of Agriculture is authorized to protect the health 
of the livestock, poultry, and aquaculture populations in the United 
States by preventing the introduction and interstate spread of serious 
diseases and pests of livestock and for eradicating such diseases from 
the United States when feasible. This authority has been delegated to 
the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS).
    In connection with this mission, APHIS operates the National Animal 
Health Monitoring System (NAHMS), which collects, on a national basis, 
statistically valid and scientifically sound data on the prevalence and 
economic importance of livestock, poultry, and aquaculture disease risk 
factors.
    NAHMS' studies have evolved into a collaborative industry and 
government initiative to help determine the most effective means of 
preventing and controlling diseases of livestock. APHIS is the only 
agency responsible for collecting data on livestock health. 
Participation in any NAHMS study is voluntary, and all data are 
confidential.
    APHIS plans to conduct the Swine 2020 Study as part of an ongoing 
series of NAHMS studies on the U.S. livestock population. This study 
will support the following objectives: (1) Describe current U.S. large-
scale swine production practices for gestation, farrowing, nursery, 
grower/finisher, and wean-to-finish phases, specifically as they relate 
to housing, productivity, biosecurity, and morbidity and mortality 
prevention; (2) Describe current U.S. small-scale production practices 
including general management practices, housing practices, 
productivity, disease prevention, and mortality; (3) Determine the 
producer-reported prevalence of select respiratory, neurologic, 
gastrointestinal, systemic, and foodborne pathogens found in weaned 
market pigs; (4) Describe large-scale swine production antimicrobial-
use patterns in pigs from post-weaning to market age; (5) Evaluate the 
presence of select pathogens and characterize isolated organisms from 
biological specimens (feces, oral fluids) in large-scale swine 
production; (6) Describe trends in small-scale swine health and disease 
management practices; (7) Describe trends in small-scale swine 
production system movements, marketing, and slaughter channels; and (8) 
Describe potential overlaps between small-scale swine production system 
movements with those of larger total confinement/commercial operations.
    The two components of the study will be in-person questionnaire 
based surveys for large swine operations and computer-assisted 
telephone interviews for small swine operations. The large swine 
operation component will consist of two phases. In Phase I, the 
National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) will contact producers 
by telephone and personal interviews to collect operational level data 
and subordinate swine production site (locations where the animals are 
raised) contact information. NASS data collectors will follow up with 
producers at each swine production site by telephone and personal 
interviews to collect site level data and respondent consent to be 
contacted for Phase II of the study. In Phase II, APHIS data collectors 
will contact consenting respondents to administer questionnaires and 
perform biologic sampling. The small swine operation component of the 
study will consist of NASS sending producers questionnaires and 
following up via computer-assisted telephone interviews with those who 
do not respond.
    The information collected through the Swine 2020 Study will be 
analyzed and used to predict or detect national and regional trends in 
disease emergence and movement such as the prevalence of clinical signs 
of coronavirus (i.e., porcine epidemic diarrhea), Seneca Valley Virus, 
respiratory, and enteric disease in pigs; provide factual information 
on housing, marketing and movement for smaller swine operations; update 
national and regional production measures (such as average farrowing 
rate) for producer, veterinary, and industry reference; provide factual 
information on antimicrobial resistance among isolates obtained from 
feces; and provide assistance to researchers and the industry in 
evaluating the utility and accuracy of newer pathogen collection 
methods such as ropes to test saliva.
    We are asking the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to approve 
our use of these information collection activities for 3 years.
    The purpose of this notice is to solicit comments from the public 
(as well as affected agencies) concerning our information collection. 
These comments will help us:
    (1) Evaluate 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) Evaluate the accuracy of our estimate of the burden of the 
collection of information, including the validity of the methodology 
and assumptions used;
    (3) Enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to 
be collected; and
    (4) Minimize the burden of the collection of information on those 
who are to respond, through use, as appropriate, of automated, 
electronic, mechanical, and other collection technologies; e.g., 
permitting electronic submission of responses.
    Estimate of burden: The public burden for this collection of 
information is estimated to average 0.61 hours per response.
    Respondents: Swine producers (large and small operations).
    Estimated annual number of respondents: 10,205.
    Estimated annual number of responses per respondent: 2.
    Estimated annual number of responses: 18,407.
    Estimated total annual burden on respondents: 11,168 hours. (Due to 
averaging, the total annual burden hours may not equal the product of 
the annual number of responses multiplied by the reporting burden per 
response.)
    All responses to this notice will be summarized and included in the 
request for OMB approval. All comments will also become a matter of 
public record.

    Done in Washington, DC, this 22nd day of April 2019.
Kevin Shea,
Administrator, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
[FR Doc. 2019-08351 Filed 4-24-19; 8:45 am]
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