2013-30562. Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request

December 18, 2013.

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.

Comments regarding this information collection received by January 23, 2014 will be considered. Written comments should be addressed to: Desk Officer for Agriculture, Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, Office of Management and Budget (OMB), New Executive Office Building, 725—17th Street NW., Washington, DC 20502. Commenters are encouraged to submit their comments to OMB via email to: [e-mail] or fax [phone] and to Departmental Clearance Office, USDA, OCIO, Mail Stop 7602, Washington, DC 20250-7602. 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.

Farm Service Agency

Title: Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program.

OMB Control Number: 0560-0175.

Summary of Collection: The Noninsured Crop Assistance Program (NAP) is authorized under 7 U.S.C. 7333 and implemented under regulations issued at 7 CFR Part 1437. The NAP is administered under the general supervision of the Executive Vice-President of the Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) (who also serves as Administrator, Farm Service Agency (FSA)), and is carried out by the FSA State and County committees. NAP is intended to reduce financial losses that occur when natural disasters cause a catastrophic loss of production or prevented planting of an eligible crop by providing coverage equivalent to the catastrophic risk protection level of Federal Crop Insurance. NAP provides assistance for losses of floriculture, ornamental nursery, Christmas tree crops, turfgrass sod, seed crops, aquaculture (including ornamental fish), sea oats and sea grass, and industrial crops. FSA will collect information using several forms.

Need and Use of the Information: The information collected is necessary to determine whether a producer and crop or commodity meet applicable conditions for assistance and to determine compliance with existing rules. Producers must annually: (1) Request NAP coverage by completing an application for coverage and paying a service fee by the CCC-established application closing date; (2) file a current crop-year report of acreage for the covered crop or commodity; and (3) certify harvest production of each covered crop or commodity. The information collected allows CCC to provide assistance under NAP for losses of commercial crops or other agricultural commodities (except livestock) for which catastrophic risk protection under 7 U.S.C. 1508 is not available, and that are produced for food or fiber.

Description of Respondents: Farms; Business or other for-profit; Not-for-profit Institutions.

Number of Respondents: 291,500.

Frequency of Responses: Recordkeeping; Reporting: On occasion; Weekly; Monthly; Annually.

Total Burden Hours: 2,031,830.

Ruth Brown,

Departmental Information Collection Clearance Officer.