04-27715. Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request

December 14, 2004.

The Department of Agriculture has submitted the following information collection requirement(s) to OMB for review and clearance under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, Public Law 104-13. Comments regarding (a) whether the 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 burden including the validity of the methodology and assumptions used; (c) ways to enhance the quality, utility and clarity of the information to be collected; (d) 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 should be addressed to: Desk Officer for Agriculture, Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, Office of Management and Budget (OMB), [e-mail] or fax [phone] and to Departmental Clearance Office, USDA, OCIO, Mail Stop 7602, Washington, DC 20250-7602. Comments regarding these information collections are best assured of having their full effect if received within 30 days of this notification. Copies of the submission(s) may be obtained by calling [phone].

An agency may not conduct or sponsor a collection of information unless the collection of information displays a currently valid OMB control number and the agency informs potential persons who are to respond to the collection of information that such persons are not required to respond to the collection of information unless it displays a currently valid OMB control number.

National Agricultural Statistics Service

Title: Agricultural Prices.

OMB Control Number: 0535-0003.

Summary of Collection: Estimates of prices received by farmers and prices paid for production goods and services are needed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, National Agriculture Statistics Service (NASS) for the following purposes: (a) To compute parity prices in accordance with requirements of the Agricultural Adjustment Act of 1938 as amended (Title III, Subtitle A, Section 301, (b) to estimate value of production, inventory values, and cash receipts from farming, (c) to determine the level for farmer owned reserves, (d) to provide guidelines for Risk Management Agency price selection options, (e) to determine Federal disaster prices to be paid, and (f) to determine the grazing fee on Federal lands. General authority for these data collection activities is granted under U.S. Code Title 7, Section 2204.

Need and Use of the Information: The NASS price program computes annual U.S. weighted average prices received by farmers for wheat, barley, corn, oats, grain sorghum, rice, and cotton based on monthly marketing. Price estimates are used by many Government agencies as a general measure of commodity price changes and for disaster and insurance payments.

Description of Respondents: Farms; Business or other for-profit.

Number of Respondents: 26,636.

Frequency of Responses: Reporting: On occasion; Monthly; Annually; Biennially.

Total Burden Hours: 10,743.

Foreign Agricultural Service

Title: Sugar Imported for Exports as Refined Sugar or as a Sugar-Containing Products, or used in Production of Certain Polyhydric Alcohols.

OMB Control Number: 0551-0015.

Summary of Collection: Regulation 7 CFR Part 1530 authorizes the Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) to issue import licenses to enter raw cane sugar (exempt from the tariff-rate quota for the raw cane sugar imports and the related requirements) on the condition that an equivalent quantity of refined sugar be: (1) Exported as refined sugar; (2) exported as an ingredient in sugar containing products; or (3) used in production of certain polyhydric alcohols. The purpose of the sugar import-licensing program is to assist U.S. sugar manufacturers, refiners, and processors in making U.S. products price competitive on the world market and to facilitate the use of domestic refining capacity.

Need and Use of the Information: FAS will collect information to: (1) Determine applicants eligibility; (2) monitor sugar imports, transfers, exports, and use in order to confirm that transactions are conducted and completed within the requirements; (3) audit participants' compliance with the Regulation; and (4) prevent entry of world-priced program sugar from entering the higher-priced domestic commercial sugar market. The information collected is needed by the Sugar Licensing Authority to manage, plan, evaluate

Rural Housing Service

Title: 7 CFR 1902-A, Supervised Bank Accounts.

OMB Control Number: 0575-0158.

Summary of Collection: 7 CFR 1902-A, Supervised Bank Accounts, prescribes the policies and procedures for disbursing loan and grant funds, establishing and closing supervised accounts, and placing Multi-Family housing reserve accounts in supervised accounts. Supervised accounts are accounts with a financial institution in the names of a borrower and the United States Government, represented by Rural Housing Service, Rural Business-Cooperative Service, Rural Utilities Service, or Farm Service Agency (Agency). Section 339 of the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act, 7 U.S.C. 1989 and Section 510 of the Housing Act of 1949, 42 U.S.C. 1480 are the legislative authority requiring the use of supervised accounts.

Need and Use of the Information: The agency's state and field offices will collect information from borrowers and financial institutions and use the information to monitor compliance with agency regulations governing supervised accounts, such as establishing, maintaining, and withdrawing funds. In addition, the information will be used to ensure that the borrowers operate on a sound basis and use the loan and grant funds for authorized purposes.

Description of Respondents: Business or other for-profit.

Number of Respondents: 20,000.

Frequency of Responses: Reporting: On occasion.

Total Burden Hours: 26,260.

Sondra Blakey,

Departmental Information Collection Clearance Officer.