Fruit Crops; Notice of Request for Extension and Revision of a Currently Approved Information Collection
| Published date | 09 October 2019 |
| Citation | 84 FR 54102 |
| Record Number | 2019-22077 |
| Section | Notices |
| Court | Agricultural Marketing Service |
Federal Register, Volume 84 Issue 196 (Wednesday, October 9, 2019)
[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 196 (Wednesday, October 9, 2019)]
[Notices]
[Pages 54102-54103]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-22077]
=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Agricultural Marketing Service
[Doc. No. AMS-SC-19-0076; SC19-0581/0189-1 N]
Fruit Crops; 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 an extension and revision to the approved forms and generic
information collection for marketing orders covering fruit crops.
DATES: Comments on this notice are due by December 9, 2019 to be
assured of consideration.
ADDRESSES: Interested persons are invited to submit written comments
concerning this notice. Comments must be sent to the Docket Clerk,
Marketing Order and Agreement Division, Specialty Crops Program, AMS,
USDA, 1400 Independence Avenue SW, STOP 0237, Washington, DC 20250-
0237; Fax: (202) 720-8938; or internet: www.regulations.gov. Comments
should reference the docket number and the date and page number of this
issue of the Federal Register and will be available for public
inspection in the Office of the Docket Clerk during regular business
hours, or can be viewed at: www.regulations.gov. All comments submitted
in response to this notice will be included in the record and will be
made available to the public. Please be advised that the identity of
individuals or entities submitting the comments will be made public on
the internet at the address provided above.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Andrew Hatch, Chief, Rulemaking
Services Branch, Marketing Order and Agreement Division, Specialty
Crops Program, AMS, USDA, 1400 Independence Avenue SW, STOP 0237, Room
1406-S, Washington, DC 20250-0237; Telephone: (202) 720-6862; Fax:
(202) 720-8938; or Email: [email protected].
Small businesses may request information on this notice by
contacting Richard Lower, Marketing Order and Agreement Division,
Specialty Crops Program, AMS, USDA, 1400 Independence Avenue SW, STOP
0237, Room 1406-S, Washington, DC 20250-0237; Telephone (202) 720-2491;
Fax: (202) 720-8938; or Email: [email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Title: Fruit Crops.
OMB Number: 0581-0189.
Expiration Date of Approval: January 31, 2020.
Type of Request: Extension and Revision of a currently approved
information collection.
Abstract: Marketing orders provide an opportunity for producers of
fresh fruits, vegetables and specialty crops, in specified production
areas, to work together to solve marketing problems that cannot be
solved individually. This notice covers the following marketing order
citations: 7 CFR parts 905 (Florida citrus), 906 (Texas citrus), 915
(Florida avocados), 920 (California kiwifruit), 922 (Washington
apricots), 923 (Washington cherries), 925 (California table grapes),
927 (Oregon/Washington pears), and 929 (Cranberries grown in 10
States). Marketing order regulations help ensure adequate supplies of
high quality product and adequate returns to producers. Marketing
orders are authorized under the Agricultural Marketing Agreement Act of
1937 (Act), as amended (7 U.S.C. 601-674). The Secretary of Agriculture
is authorized to oversee the marketing order operations and issue
regulations recommended by a committee of representatives from each
commodity industry.
The information collection requirements in this request are
essential to carry out the intent of the Act, to provide the
respondents the type of service they request, and to administer the
marketing orders. Under the Act, marketing orders may authorize:
Production and marketing research, including paid advertising; volume
regulations; reserves, including pools and producer allotments;
container regulations; and quality control. Assessments are levied on
handlers regulated under the marketing orders.
USDA requires several forms to be filed to enable the
administration of each marketing order. These include forms covering
the selection process for industry members to serve on a marketing
order's committee or board and ballots used in referenda to amend or
continue marketing orders.
Under Federal marketing orders, producers and handlers are
nominated by their peers to serve as representatives on a committee or
board which administers each program. Nominees must provide information
on their qualifications to serve on the committee or board. Qualified
nominees are then appointed by the Secretary. Formal rulemaking
amendments must be approved in referenda conducted by USDA and the
Secretary. For the purposes of this action, ballots are
[[Page 54103]]
considered information collections and are subject to the Paperwork
Reduction Act. If a marketing order is amended, handlers are asked to
sign an agreement indicating their willingness to abide by the
provisions of the amended marketing order.
Some forms are required to be filed with the committee or board.
The marketing orders and their rules and regulations authorize the
respective commodities' committees and boards, the agencies responsible
for local administration of the marketing orders, to require handlers
and producers to submit certain information. Much of the information is
compiled in aggregate and provided to the respective industries to
assist in marketing decisions. The committees and boards have developed
forms as a means for persons to file required information relating to
supplies, shipments, and dispositions of their respective commodities,
and other information needed to effectively carry out the purpose of
the Act and their respective orders, and these forms are utilized
accordingly.
The forms covered under this information collection require
respondents to provide the minimum information necessary to effectively
carry out the requirements of the marketing orders, and use of these
forms is necessary to fulfill the intent of the Act as expressed in the
marketing orders' rules and regulations.
The information collected is used only by authorized employees of
the committees and authorized representatives of the USDA, including
AMS, Specialty Crops Program's regional and headquarters' staff.
Authorized committee or board employees are the primary users of the
information and AMS is the secondary user.
Estimate of Burden: Public reporting burden for this collection of
information is estimated to average .310 hours per response.
Respondents: Producers, handlers, processors, cooperatives, and
public members.
Estimated Number of Respondents: 6,800.
Estimated Number of Responses: 25,088.
Estimated Number of Responses per Respondent: 3.69.
Estimated Total Annual Burden on Respondents: 7,780 hours.
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 through the use of appropriate automated,
electronic, mechanical, or other technological collection techniques or
other forms of information technology.
Comments should reference this docket number and be sent to the
USDA in care of the Docket Clerk at the address above. All comments
received will be available for public inspection during regular
business hours at the same address.
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.
AMS is committed to compliance with the E-Government Act to promote
the use of the internet and other information technologies, to provide
increased opportunities for citizen access to Government information
and services, and for other purposes.
A 60-day comment period is provided to allow interested persons to
respond to the notice.
Dated: October 4, 2019.
Bruce Summers,
Administrator, Agricultural Marketing Service.
[FR Doc. 2019-22077 Filed 10-8-19; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-02-P
