[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 207 (Friday, October 27, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 73823-73824]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-23728]


 ========================================================================
 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.
 
 ========================================================================
 

  Federal Register / Vol. 88, No. 207 / Friday, October 27, 2023 / 
Notices  

[[Page 73823]]



DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Agricultural Marketing Service

[Doc. No. AMS-DA-23-0061]


Notice of Request for Extension and Revision of a Currently 
Approved Information Collection

AGENCY: Agricultural Marketing Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice and request for comments.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this 
notice announces the Agricultural Marketing Service's (AMS) intention 
to request approval, from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), 
for an extension of and revision to the currently approved information 
collection for report forms under the Federal milk marketing order 
program.

DATES: Comments on this notice must be received by December 26, 2023 to 
be assured of consideration.

ADDRESSES: Interested persons are invited to submit comments concerning 
this notice by using the electronic process available at https://www.regulations.gov. All comments should reference the document number 
and the date and the page number of this issue of the Federal Register. 
Written comments may be submitted via mail to the Office of Deputy 
Administrator, Dairy Program, AMS, USDA, 1400 Independence Avenue SW, 
Room 2530 South, Stop 0225, Washington, DC 20250-0225. All comments 
received will be posted without change, including any personal 
information provided, at https://www.regulations.gov and will be 
included in the record and made available for the public inspection. 
Please do not include personally identifiable information (such as 
name, address, or other contact information) or confidential business 
information that you do not want publicly disclosed. Comments may be 
submitted anonymously.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Janel L. Barsi, Director, Operations 
and Accountability Division, Dairy Program, Agricultural Marketing 
Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Room 2530, South Building, 
1400 Independence Avenue SW, Washington, DC 20250-0230: Email: 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 
    Title: Report Forms under Federal Milk Orders (From Milk Handlers 
and Milk Marketing Cooperatives).
    OMB Number: 0581-0032.
    Expiration Date of Approval: February 29, 2024.
    Type of Request: Extension and revision of a currently approved 
information collection.
    Abstract: Federal milk marketing order regulations (7 CFR parts 
1000-1199) authorized under the Agricultural Marketing Agreement Act of 
1937, as amended (7 U.S.C. 601-674), require milk handlers to report in 
detail the receipts and utilization of milk and milk products handled 
at each of their plants that are regulated by a Federal order. The data 
are needed to administer the classified pricing system and related 
requirements of each Federal order.
    A Federal milk marketing order (hereinafter, Order) is a regulation 
issued by the Secretary of Agriculture that places certain requirements 
on the handling of milk in the area it covers. Each order is 
established under the authority of the Act. The Order requires that 
handlers of milk for a marketing area pay not less than certain minimum 
class prices according to how the milk is used. These prices are 
established under each Order after a public hearing at which evidence 
is received on the supply and demand conditions for milk in the market. 
An Order requires that payments for milk be pooled and paid to 
individual farmers or cooperative associations of farmers on the basis 
of a uniform or average price. Thus, all eligible farmers (producers) 
share in the market wide use-values of milk by regulated handlers.
    Milk Orders help ensure adequate supplies of milk and dairy 
products for consumers and adequate returns to producers.
    The Orders also provide for the public dissemination of market 
statistics and other information for the benefit of producers, 
handlers, and consumers.
    Formal rulemaking amendments to the Orders must be approved in 
referenda conducted by the Secretary.
    During 2022, 23,108 dairy farmers delivered over 151.6 billion 
pounds of milk to handlers regulated under the milk orders. This volume 
represents 67 percent of all milk marketed in the U.S. and 68 percent 
of the milk of bottling quality (Grade A) sold in the country. The 
value of this milk delivered to Federal milk order handlers at minimum 
order blend prices was over $35.9 billion. Producer deliveries of milk 
used in Class I products (mainly fluid milk products) totaled 41.0 
billion pounds, 27 percent of total producer deliveries.
    Each Order is administered by a USDA market administrator. The 
market administrator is authorized to levy assessments on regulated 
handlers to carry out the market administrator's duties and 
responsibilities under the Orders. Additional duties of the market 
administrators are to prescribe reports required of each handler, to 
assure that handlers pay producers and associations of producers 
according to the provisions of the Order. The market administrator 
employs a staff that verifies handlers' reports by examining records to 
determine that the required payments are made to producers. Most 
reports required from handlers are submitted monthly to the market 
administrator.
    The forms used by the market administrators are required by the 
respective Orders that are authorized by the Act. The forms are used to 
establish the quantity of milk received by handlers, the pooling status 
of the handlers, the class-use of the milk used by the handler, and the 
butterfat content and amounts of other components of the milk.
    The forms covered under this information collection require the 
minimum information necessary to effectively carry out the requirements 
of the Orders, and their use is necessary to fulfill the intent of the 
Act as expressed in the Orders and in the rules and regulations issued 
under the Orders. The information collected is used only by authorized 
employees of the market administrator and authorized representatives of 
the USDA, including AMS Dairy Programs' headquarters staff.
    Estimated of Burden: Public reporting burden for this collection of 
information

[[Page 73824]]

is estimated to average 0.50 hours per response.
    Respondents: Milk handlers and milk marketing cooperatives.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 679.
    Estimated Total Annual Responses: 15,980.
    Estimated Number of Responses per Respondent: 186.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden on Respondents: 18,050 (rounded).
    Comments are invited on: (1) 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; (2) 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; (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 the use of appropriate automated, electronic, 
mechanical, or other technological collection techniques or other forms 
of information technology.
    All comments received on this information collection will be 
summarized and included in the final request for OMB approval. All 
comments will become a matter of public record, including any personal 
information provided.

Erin Morris,
Associate Administrator, Agricultural Marketing Service.
[FR Doc. 2023-23728 Filed 10-26-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE P