2017-02687. Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request

February 6, 2017.

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 are requested regarding (1) 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; (2) the accuracy of the agency's estimate of burden including the validity of the methodology and assumptions used; (3) ways to enhance the quality, utility and clarity of the information to be collected; (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 regarding this information collection received by March 13, 2017 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 20503. 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.

National Agriculture Statistics Service

Title: Cotton Ginning Survey.

OMB Control Number: 0535-0220.

Summary of Collection: The primary objective of the National Agricultural Statistics Services (NASS) is to collect, prepare and issue state and national estimates of crop and livestock production, disposition and prices as well as specialty agricultural and environmental statistics. The Cotton Ginning Survey provides statistics concerning cotton ginning for specific dates and geographic regions and aids in forecasting cotton production. The Cotton Ginning surveys obtain data mandated under U.S.C. Title 13, Section 42(a). General authority for these data collection activities is granted under U.S. Code Title 7, section 2204.

Need and Use of the Information: The majority of data are collected by telephone, mail, and fax. All active gins for a given crop season in all 17 cotton producing states are included in the survey. The ginning data collected provides (1) all segments of the cotton industry—buyers, brokers, crushers, shippers, textile firms, and researches with exact quantities of cotton available at specific geographic locations within the U.S. on a regular basis; (2) precise statistics, especially when at least 50 percent of the forecasted cotton production has been ginned in a state; and (3) final season ginning data is used to establish final production. If the information were collected less frequent, the cotton industry would be without county level quantities ginned that could seriously affect transportation costs and marketing strategies.

Description of Respondents: Business or other for-profit.

Number of Respondents: 650.

Frequency of Responses: Reporting: Monthly, Semi-annually, Annually.

Total Burden Hours: 1,277.

Charlene Parker,

Departmental Information Collection Clearance Officer.