01-1267. Advisory Committee on Agriculture Statistics

AGENCY:

National Agricultural Statistics Service, USDA.

ACTION:

Notice of renewal at USDA.

SUMMARY:

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has renewed the charter for the Advisory Committee for Agriculture Statistics. Effective October 1, 1996, responsibility for the census of agriculture program was transferred to the National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) at USDA from the Bureau of the Census, U.S. Department of Commerce. Effective February 2, 1997, NASS also received the transferred program positions and staff from the Bureau of the Census, U.S. Department of Commerce. Responsibility for the Advisory Committee on Agriculture Statistics, which is a discretionary committee, was transferred, along with its allocated slot, to USDA with the census of agriculture program.

The Advisory Committee on Agriculture Statistics has provided input and direction to the census of agriculture program since the committee was first established on July 16, 1962. It has been particularly critical to have the committee as a valuable resource to USDA during the transfer of the census from the U.S. Department of Commerce.

The purpose of the committee is to make recommendations on census of agriculture operations including questionnaire design and content, publicity, publication plans, and data dissemination.

FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION OR COMMENTS:

Contact R. Ronald Bosecker, Administrator, National Agricultural Statistics Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, 1400 Independence Avenue SW., Room 4117 South Building, Washington, DC 20250-2000, [phone].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Pursuant to the Federal Advisory Committee Act (5 U.S.C. appendix), notice is hereby given that the Secretary of Agriculture has renewed the charter for the Advisory Committee on Agriculture Statistics, hereafter referred to as Committee. The purpose of the Committee is to advise the Secretary of Agriculture on the conduct of the periodic censuses and surveys of agriculture, other related surveys, and the types of agricultural information to obtain from respondents. The committee also prepares recommendations regarding the content of agriculture reports, and presents the views and needs for data of major suppliers and users of agriculture statistics.

The Secretary of Agriculture has determined that the work of the Committee is in the public interest and relevant to the duties of USDA. No other advisory committee or agency of USDA is performing the tasks that will be assigned to the Committee.

The Committee, appointed by the Secretary of Agriculture, shall consist of 25 members representing a broad range of disciplines and interests, including, but not limited to, agricultural economists, rural sociologists, farm policy analysts, educators, State agriculture representatives, and agriculture-related business and marketing experts.

Representatives of the Bureau of the Census, U.S. Department of Commerce, and Economic Research Service, USDA, serve as ex-officio members of the Committee.

The committee draws on the experience and expertise of its members to form a collective judgment concerning agriculture data collected and the statistics issued by NASS. This input is vital to keep current with shifting data needs in the rapidly changing agricultural environment and keep NASS informed of emerging developments and issues in the food and fiber sector that can affect agriculture statistics activities.

Equal opportunity practices, in line with USDA policies, will be followed in all membership appointments to the Committee. To ensure that the recommendations of the Committee have taken into account the needs of the diverse groups served by USDA, membership shall include, to the extent practicable, individuals with demonstrated ability to represent minorities, women, and persons with disabilities.

Paul W. Fiddick,

Assistant Secretary for Administration.