[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 183 (Thursday, September 22, 2022)]
[Notices]
[Pages 57864-57865]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2022-20569]


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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 for Field Crops Production. Revision to 
burden hours will be needed due to changes in the size of the target 
population, sampling design, the combining of several smaller surveys, 
and/or changes in questionnaire length.

DATES: Comments on this notice must be received by November 21, 2022 to 
be assured of consideration.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments, identified by docket number 0535-
0002, by any of the following methods:
     Email: [email protected]. Include docket number 
above in the subject line of the message.
     efax: (855) 838-6382.
     Mail: Mail any paper, disk, or CD-ROM submissions to: 
Richard Hopper, NASS Clearance Officer, U.S. Department of Agriculture, 
Room 5336 South Building, 1400 Independence

[[Page 57865]]

Avenue SW, Washington, DC 20250-2024.
     Hand Delivery/Courier: Hand deliver to: Richard Hopper, 
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 
Richard Hopper, NASS--OMB Clearance Officer, at (202) 720-2206 or at 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 
    Title: Field Crops Production.
    OMB Control Number: 0535-0002.
    Expiration Date of Approval: May 31, 2024.
    Type of Request: Intent to Seek Approval to Revise and Extend an 
Information Collection for 3 years.
    Abstract: The primary objective of the National Agricultural 
Statistics Service is to prepare and issue State and national estimates 
of crop and livestock production, prices, and disposition. The Field 
Crops Production Program consists of probability field crops surveys 
and supplemental panel surveys. The panel surveys capture unique crop 
characteristics such as the concentration of crops in localized 
geographical areas. These surveys are extremely valuable for 
commodities where acreage and yield are published at the county level.
    Overall, there is a decrease in burden for this renewal. Accounting 
for the proposed mailings for the surveys in this renewal will increase 
burden for samples selected for the above surveys, but the decrease in 
burden resulting from the reduced sample sizes for both County 
Agricultural Production Survey (CAPS) and Cash Rents survey to publish 
cash rents at a county level exceeded the burden increase for the 
proposed number of mailings. The decrease in both sample sizes is due 
to updated criteria required to summarized statistics at the county 
level that were discussed at the 2020 USDA Fall Data Users' Meeting 
question and answer session. The transcript of the session can be found 
at this link: https://www.nass.usda.gov/Education_and_Outreach/Meeting/2020/2020-Fall-Data-Users-Meeting-Question-and-Answer.pdf.
    Authority: 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.
    All NASS employees and NASS contractors must also fully comply with 
all provisions of the Confidential Information Protection and 
Statistical Efficiency Act (CIPSEA) of 2018, Title III of Public Law 
115-435, codified in 44 U.S.C. Ch. 35. CIPSEA supports NASS's pledge of 
confidentiality to all respondents and facilitates the agency's efforts 
to reduce burden by supporting statistical activities of collaborative 
agencies through designation of NASS agents, subject to the limitations 
and penalties described in CIPSEA.
    Estimate of Burden: Public reporting burden for this information 
collection is based on a group of similar surveys with expected 
response times of 5-30 minutes and a frequency of 1-40 times per year. 
Estimated number of responses per respondent is 1.25.
    Respondents: Farmers and Ranchers.
    Estimated Total Number of Respondents: 444,500.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden on Respondents: 142,500 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, 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, September 7, 2022.
Kevin L. Barnes,
Associate Administrator.
[FR Doc. 2022-20569 Filed 9-21-22; 8:45 am]
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