[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 15 (Monday, January 25, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 3674-3675]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-1610]
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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Agricultural Marketing Service
[Docket No. FV99-997-1 NC]
Notice for Extension and Revision of a Currently Approved
Information Collection
AGENCY: Agricultural Marketing Service, USDA.
ACTION: Notice and request for comments.
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SUMMARY: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44
U.S.C. Chapter 35), this notice announces the Agricultural Marketing
Service's (AMS) intention to request an extension for and revision to a
currently approved information collection in support of the Provisions
Regulating the Quality of Domestically Produced Peanuts Handled by
Persons Not Subject to the Marketing Agreement No. 146 based on changes
in program requirements.
DATES: Comments on this notice must be received by March 26, 1999.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION OR COMMENTS: Contact Dawana Johnson, Fruit and
Vegetable Programs, AMS, USDA, P.O. Box 96456, Room 2525-S, Washington,
DC, 20090-6456, Telephone: (202) 720-1755 or Fax: (202) 720-5698.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Title: Provisions Regulating the Quality of Domestically Produced
Peanuts Handled by Person's Not Subject to the Peanut Marketing
Agreement.
OMB Number: 0581-0163.
Expiration Date of Approval: September 30, 1999.
Type of Request: Extension and revision of a currently approved
information collection.
Abstract: Under authority of the Agricultural Marketing Agreement
Act of 1937 (Act), as amended (7 U.S.C. 601-674), Peanut Marketing
Agreement No. 146 and the Peanut Administrative Committee (Committee)
were established by the Secretary in 1965 to minimize aflatoxin
contamination in peanuts and peanut products. The Agreement was signed
by a majority of domestic peanut handlers (signatory handlers). The
Committee works with AMS in administering the Agreement.
Pub. L. 101-220, enacted December 12, 1989, amended section 608b of
the Act to require that all handlers who have not signed the Agreement
(non-signatory handlers) be subject to quality, handling, and
inspection requirements to the same extent and manner as are required
under the Agreement. Regulations to implement Pub. L. 101-220 were
issued and made effective on December 4, 1990 (55 FR 49983). It is
estimated that 5 percent of the domestic peanut crop is marketed by
non-signatory handlers and the remainder of the crop is handled by
signatory handlers.
The objective of the Agreement and the non-signatory handling
regulations (7 CFR part 997) is to ensure that only wholesome peanuts
enter edible market channels. Under both regulations, farmers stock
peanuts with visible Aspergillus flavus mold (the principle source of
aflatoxin) are required to be diverted to non-edible uses. Both
regulations also provide that shelled peanuts meeting minimum outgoing
quality requirements must be chemically analyzed for aflatoxin
contamination.
Peanut handlers are business entities that buy raw peanuts from
farmers and process them into shelled product (kernels) that is sold to
manufacturers who make peanut butter and other peanut products. Under
this information collection burden, peanut handlers are respondents and
recordkeepers.
A proposed and final rulemaking process, which became effective in
January 1997, dramatically reduced the number of information collection
burden hours for all domestic peanut handlers. The number of forms
required to be filed by non-signatory peanut handlers was reduced from
11 forms to only 2 forms. That action was taken to be consistent with
reductions in the reporting requirements made to the Agreement
regulations and applied to signatory peanut handlers. The information
collection burden for signatory handlers (OMB No. 0581-0067) was
revised and approved July 27, 1998. This information collection burden
report registers similar reductions in the number of forms and
information collection burden for non-signer handlers.
Information formerly needed from the 11 forms has been condensed
into 2 forms that must be filed by non-signer
[[Page 3675]]
handlers. Some of the information formerly required on the 11 forms is
no longer needed because certain non-signer regulations were
terminated. That information had to do with restricted and unrestricted
peanuts (terms no longer used in the regulations) and disposal of non-
edible peanuts to certain outlets (no longer regulated and monitored).
Using the 2 forms decreases the estimated total annual burden on
handlers by 327 hours, from 591 to 264 hours. Also, the number of total
annual responses supplied by handlers for the entire non-signer peanut
information collection decreases from 1,500 to 792.
Handlers Monthly Report of Farmers Stock--Form FV-117, deals with
each handler's shelled peanuts and what is done with those shelled
peanuts to get them ready for sale to manufacturers. This report is
filed monthly.
Monthly Report of Dispositions of Peanuts--Form FV-117-1, deals
with information on each handler's acquisitions and dispositions of
farmers stock peanuts. Farmers stock peanuts are raw, inshell peanuts
delivered by farmers to peanut handlers. This report is also filed
monthly.
Estimate of Burden: Public reporting burden for this collection of
information is estimated to average 0.25 hours (15 minutes) per
response.
Respondents: Peanut handlers who have not signed the peanut
marketing Agreement.
Estimated Number of Respondents: 33.
Estimated Number of Responses per Respondent: 24.
Estimated Total Annual Burden on Respondents: 264 hrs.
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, and mechanical or other technological collection techniques
or other forms of information technology.
Comments should reference OMB No. 0581-0163 and the Provisions
Regulating The Quality Of Domestically Produced Peanuts Handled By
Persons Not Subject To The Peanut Marketing Agreement (7 CFR Part 997)
and be sent to USDA in care of Dawana Johnson 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 a
final request for OMB approval. All comments will become a matter of
public record.
Dated: January 19, 1999.
Robert C. Keeney,
Deputy Administrator, Fruit and Vegetable Programs.
[FR Doc. 99-1610 Filed 1-22-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-02-P
