[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 49 (Thursday, March 12, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Pages 14457-14458]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-05057]


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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 request revision and extension of a currently 
approved information collection, the Current Agricultural Industrial 
Reports (CAIR) program. Revision to burden hours will be needed due to 
changes in the size of the target population, sampling design, and/or 
questionnaire length.

DATES: Comments on this notice must be received by May 11, 2020 to be 
assured of consideration.

ADDRESSES: 
     Email: [email protected]. Include the 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: 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: Current Agricultural Industrial Reports (CAIR).
    OMB Control Number: 0535--0254.
    Expiration Date of Approval: August 31, 2020.
    Type of Request: To revise and extend a currently approved 
information collection for a period of three years.
    Abstract: NASS began collecting data for the Current Agricultural 
Industrial Reports (CAIR) in the latter half of 2014. This replaced a 
portion of the Current Industrial Reports (CIR) program (0607-0476) 
which was conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau previously. The CIR was 
discontinued on April 30, 2012. The previous approval (0607-0476) was 
for 47 different surveys.
    Data from the agricultural instruments are used to generate four 
separate publications.
    The data from these surveys supply data users with important 
information on the utilization of many of the crops, livestock, and 
poultry produced in the United States. NASS collects crop data on acres 
planted and harvested, production, price and stocks for these crops 
(grains, oilseeds, cotton, nuts, etc.), along with livestock data on 
the number of animals and poultry produced, slaughtered, prices, and 
the amount of meat kept in cold storage. The CAIR data series provides 
data users with vital information on how much of these commodities were 
processed into fuels, cooking oils, flour, fabric, etc. These data are 
needed to provide a more complete picture of the importance of 
agriculture to the American population.
    In order to maintain a complete and comprehensive list of 
operations, NASS also conducts an Operation Profile periodically to add 
new operations to the survey population. This profile is also used to 
identify operations that do not meet the criteria to be included in 
this group of surveys also to serve as a

[[Page 14458]]

training tool. The training that will be provided is designed to help 
insure consistent, accurate, and complete data reported on a monthly/
annual basis. These surveys will be conducted as a part of the Census 
of Agriculture and are mandatory as defined under Title 7, Sec. 
2204(g).

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         Publication No.*                  Form No.*               Survey title          Reporting status          Frequency            Methodology
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                                                            Operation profile........  Voluntary...........  Annual..............  Universe.
M311N.............................  M311N.................  Animal & Vegetable Fats    Mandatory...........  Monthly.............  Universe.
                                                             and Oil.
M311J.............................  M311C.................  Corn (Wet and Dry          Mandatory...........  Monthly.............  Universe.
                                                             Producers of Ethanol).
                                    M311J.................  Oilseeds, Beans, and Nuts  Mandatory...........  Monthly.............  Universe
                                                             (Primary Producers).
M313P.............................  M311H.................  Cotton in Private Storage  Mandatory...........  Annual..............  Universe.
                                                             **.
                                    M313P.................  Consumption on the Cotton  Mandatory...........  Monthly.............  Universe.
                                                             System and Stocks.
MQ311A............................  MQ311A................  Flour Milling Products...  Mandatory...........  Quarterly...........  Universe.
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* The Form numbers and publication numbers appear on the surveys previously conducted by the Census Bureau.
** Cotton in Private Storage is published in the September publication only.

    Primary users of these data include government and regulatory 
agencies, business firms, trade associations, and private research and 
consulting organizations. The USDA World Agricultural Outlook Board 
(WAOB) uses the data in many of their indexes. The Bureau of Economic 
Analysis (BEA) and the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) uses the data 
in the estimation of components of gross domestic product (GDP) and the 
estimate of output for productivity analysis, respectively. Many 
government agencies, such as the Department of Agriculture, Food and 
Drug Administration, Bureau of Economic Analysis, and International 
Trade Administration use the data for industrial analysis, projections, 
and monitoring import penetration.
    The National Agricultural Statistics Service will use the 
information collected only for statistical purposes and will publish 
the data only as tabulated totals.
    Authority: The census of agriculture and subsequent follow-on 
censuses are required by law under the ``Census of Agriculture Act of 
1997,'' 7 U.S.C. 2204(g). 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 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 8-40 minutes per response. 
Publicity materials and instruction sheets will account for about 15 
minutes of additional burden per respondent, annually. Respondents who 
refuse to complete the survey will be allotted 2 minutes of burden per 
attempt to collect the data.
    Respondents: The target population will consist of managers of 
processing facilities that produce oils and fats from animals, grains, 
oilseeds, nuts, tree fruits or vegetables; or operations that are 
involved in the storing, rendering, or marketing of these products. 
Managers of ethanol plants, cotton gins, and flour mills will also be 
included in the target population for this group of surveys.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 760.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden on Respondents: 2,400 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, 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 19, 2020.
Kevin L. Barnes,
Associate Administrator.
[FR Doc. 2020-05057 Filed 3-11-20; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3410-20-P