E8-4082. Notice of Intent To Seek Approval To Revise and Extend an Information Collection

AGENCY:

National Agricultural Statistics Service, USDA.

ACTION:

Notice and request for comments.

SUMMARY:

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this notice announces the intention of the National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) to seek approval to revise and extend a currently approved information collection, the Agricultural Resources Management Survey and Chemical Use Surveys. The following two scheduling changes will be requested. First, chemical use surveys are only requested for fall 2010 to include fruit and postharvest. Thus, no vegetable chemical use survey will be requested. Second, in 2008 only, in lieu of the fall ARMS Phase II Survey, additional questions will be requested for the ARMS Phase III Cost and Returns Report. These questions will focus on a) bio-energy crop adoption and production expenses, and b) impact of tobacco program changes on tobacco marketing. Thus, in 2009, NASS will not publish the 2008 Field Crops Chemical Use report which would have resulted from a 2008 ARMS Phase II Survey.

DATES:

Comments on this notice must be received by May 5, 2008 to be assured of consideration.

ADDRESSES:

You may submit comments, identified by docket number 0535-0235, by any of the following methods:

• E-mail: [e-mail]. Include docket number above in the subject line of the message.
• Fax: [phone].
• Mail: Mail any paper, disk, or CD-ROM submissions to: NASS Clearance Officer, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Room 5336 A, Mail Stop 2024, South Building, 1400 Independence Avenue SW., Washington, DC 20250-2024.
• Hand Delivery/Courier: Hand deliver to: NASS Clearance Officer, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Room 5336 A South Building, 1400 Independence Avenue SW., Washington, DC 20250-2024.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Joseph T. Reilly, Associate Administrator, National Agricultural Statistics Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, [phone].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Title: Agricultural Resources Management Survey and Chemical Use Surveys.

OMB Control Number: 0535-0218.

Expiration Date of Approval: September 30, 2008.

Type of Request: Intent to revise and extend a currently approved information collection.

Abstract: The Agricultural Resource Management Survey (ARMS) is the primary source of information for the U.S. Department of Agriculture on a broad range of issues related to agricultural resource use and costs and farm sector financial conditions. ARMS is the only source of information available for objective evaluation of many critical issues related to agriculture and the rural economy, such as: whole farm finance data including data sufficient to construct estimates of income for farms by; type of operation, loan commodities, income for operator households, credit, structure, and organization; marketing information, and other economic data on input usage, production practices, and crop substitution possibilities.

Data from ARMS are used to produce estimates of net farm income by type of commercial producer as required in 7 U.S.C. 7998 and estimates of enterprise production costs as required in 7 U.S.C. 1441(a). Data from ARMS are also used as weights in the development of the Prices Paid Index, a component of the Parity Index referred to in the Agricultural Adjustment Act of 1938. These indexes are used to calculate the annual federal grazing fee rates as described in the Public Rangelands Improvement Act of 1978 and Executive Order 12,548 and as promulgated in regulations found at 36 CFR 222.51. In addition, ARMS is used to produce estimates of sector-wide production expenditures and other components of income that are used in constructing the estimates of income and value-added which are transmitted to the U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of Economic Analysis, by the USDA Economic Research Service (ERS) for use in constructing economy-wide estimates of Gross Domestic Product. This transmittal of data, prepared using the ARMS, is undertaken to satisfy a 1956 agreement between the Office of Management and Budget and the Departments of Agriculture and Commerce that a single set of estimates be published on farm income.

The following two scheduling changes will be requested. First, chemical use surveys are only requested for fall 2010 to include fruit and postharvest. Thus, no vegetable chemical use survey will be requested. Second, in 2008 only, in lieu of the fall ARMS Phase II Survey, additional questions will be requested for the ARMS Phase III Cost and Returns Report.

Chemical Use Surveys: Congress has mandated that NASS and ERS build nationally coordinated databases on agricultural chemical use and related farm practices; these databases are the primary vehicles used to produce specified environmental and economic estimates. The surveys will help provide the knowledge and technical means for producers and researchers to address on-farm environmental concerns in a manner that maintains agricultural productivity.

The following two scheduling changes will be requested. First, chemical use surveys are only requested for fall 2010 to include fruit and postharvest. Thus, no vegetable chemical use survey will be requested. Second, in 2008 only, in lieu of the fall ARMS Phase II Survey, additional questions will be requested for the ARMS Phase III Cost and Returns Report.

Authority: These data will be collected under the authority of 7 U.S.C. 2204(a). Individually identifiable data collected under this authority are governed by section 1770 of the Food Security Act of 1985, 7 U.S.C. 2276, which requires USDA to afford strict confidentiality to non-aggregated data provided by respondents. This Notice is submitted in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (Pub. L. 104-13 codified at 44 U.S.C. 3501, et seq.) and Office of Management and Budget regulations at 5 CFR part 1320 (60 FR 44978, August 29, 1995).

Estimate of Burden: Public reporting burden for this collection of information is estimated to average approximately 36 minutes per survey.

Respondents: Farmers, ranchers, farm managers, farm contractors, and farm households.

Estimated Number of Respondents: Approximately 61,000 respondents will be sampled each year. Over half of these respondents will be contacted more than one time in a single year.

Estimated Total Annual Burden on Respondents: Approximately 65,000 hours per year. Copies of this information collection and related instructions can be obtained without charge from the NASS Clearance Officer, at [phone].

Comments: Comments are invited on: (a) 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; (b) 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; (c) ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; and (d) ways to minimize the burden of the collection of information on those who are to respond, including use of appropriate automated, electronic, mechanical, or other technological collection techniques or other forms of information technology.

All responses to this notice will become a matter of public record and be summarized in the request for OMB approval.

Signed at Washington, DC, February 19, 2008.

Joseph T. Reilly,

Associate Administrator.