3410-20
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
National Agricultural Statistics Service
Notice of Intent to Request Revision and Extension of a Currently Approved
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
request revision and extension of a currently approved information collection, the
Current Agricultural Industrial Reports (CAIR) program.
DATES: Comments on this notice must be received by [INSERT DATE 60 DAYS
AFTER DATE OF PUBLICATION IN THE FEDERAL REGISTER] to be assured of
consideration.
ADDRESSES:
• E-mail: [email protected]. Include the docket number above
in the subject line of the message.
• Efax: (855) 838-6382.
• Mail: Mail any paper, disk, or CD-ROM submissions to: Richard
Hopper, NASS Clearance Officer, U.S. Department of Agriculture,
Room 5336 South Building, 1400 Independence Avenue SW,
Washington, D.C. 20250-2024.
• Hand Delivery/Courier: Hand deliver to: Richard Hopper, NASS
Clearance Officer, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Room 5336 South
Building, 1400 Independence Avenue SW, Washington, D.C. 20250-
2024.
This document is scheduled to be published in the
Federal Register on 01/31/2023 and available online at
federalregister.gov/d/2023-01985, and on govinfo.gov
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Kevin L. Barnes, Associate
Administrator, National Agricultural Statistics Service, U.S. Department of
Agriculture, (202)720-2707. Copies of this information collection and related
instructions can be obtained without charge from Richard Hopper, NASS - OMB
Clearance Officer, at (202)720-2206 or at [email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Changes from the currently approved information collection include:
1) NASS currently collects “Vegetable foots, raw and acidulated” data in the monthly
Animal and Vegetable Fats and Oils survey and publishes results that meet NASS
confidentiality and quality standards in the “Fats and Oils: Oilseed Crushings,
Production, Consumption and Stocks publication. Data collected from the most
recently approved information collection did not allow for results to be published since
they did not meet NASS confidentiality and quality standards and it is unlikely that
future surveys will allow publishable results. Vegetable foot data will be discontinued
as part of this information collection request.
2) NASS currently collects “Sorghum used to produce alcohol” data in the monthly Dry
Mill Producers survey and publishes results that meet NASS confidentiality and quality
standards in the Grain Crushings and Co-Products Production publication. NASS
consulted with the Department of Energy’s Energy Information Administration (EIA)
and it was decided that EIA will be considered the sole source of data for Sorghum
consumed for alcohol.
These changes will not affect number of respondents and estimated burden.
Title: Current Agricultural Industrial Reports (CAIR).
OMB Control Number: 0535 - 0254.
Expiration Date of Approval: June 30, 2023.
Type of Request: To revise and extend a currently approved information collection
for a period of three years.
Abstract: NASS began collecting data for the Current Agricultural Industrial Reports
(CAIR) in the latter half of 2014. This replaced a portion of the Current Industrial
Reports (CIR) program (0607-0476) which was conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau
previously. The CIR was discontinued on April 30, 2012. The previous approval
(0607-0476) was for 47 different surveys.
Data from the agricultural instruments are used to generate four separate publications.
The data from these surveys supply data users with important information on the
utilization of many of the crops, livestock, and poultry produced in the United States.
NASS collects crop data on acres planted and harvested, production, price and stocks
for these crops (grains, oilseeds, cotton, nuts, etc.), along with livestock data on the
number of animals and poultry produced, slaughtered, prices, and the amount of meat
kept in cold storage. The CAIR data series provides data users with vital information on
how much of these commodities were processed into fuels, cooking oils, flour, fabric,
etc. These data are needed to provide a more complete picture of the importance of
agriculture to the American population.
In order to maintain a complete and comprehensive list of operations, NASS also
conducts an Operation Profile periodically to add new operations to the survey
population. This profile is also used to identify operations that do not meet the criteria
to be included in this group of surveys also to serve as a training tool. The training that
will be provided is designed to help insure consistent, accurate, and complete data
reported on a monthly/annual basis. These surveys will be conducted as a part of the
Census of Agriculture and are mandatory as defined under Title 7, Sec. 2204(g).
Primary users of these data include government and regulatory agencies, business
firms, trade associations, and private research and consulting organizations. The
USDA World Agricultural Outlook Board (WAOB) uses the data in many of their
indexes. The Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) and the Bureau of Labor Statistics
(BLS) uses the data in the estimation of components of gross domestic product (GDP)
and the estimate of output for productivity analysis, respectively. Many government
agencies, such as the Department of Agriculture, Food and Drug Administration,
Bureau of Economic Analysis, and International Trade Administration use the data for
industrial analysis, projections, and monitoring import penetration.
The National Agricultural Statistics Service will use the information collected only for
statistical purposes and will publish the data only as tabulated totals.
Authority: The census of agriculture and subsequent follow-on censuses are required
by law under the “Census of Agriculture Act of 1997,” 7 U.S.C. 2204(g). Individually
identifiable data collected under this authority are governed by Section 1770 of the
Food Security Act of 1985 as amended, 7 U.S.C. 2276, which requires USDA to afford
strict confidentiality to non-aggregated data provided by respondents. This Notice is
Publication
Number *
Form
Number *
Survey Title
Reporting
Status
Frequency Methodology
Operation Profile Voluntary Annual Universe
M311N M311N
Animal & Vegetable Fats and Oil Mandatory Monthly Universe
Oilseeds, Beans, and Nuts
(Primary Producers)
M311H
Cotton in Private Storage ** Mandatory Annual Universe
M313P
Consumption on the Cotton System and
Stocks
Mandatory Monthly Universe
MQ311A MQ311A
Flour Milling Products Mandatory Quarterly Universe
** Cotton in Private Storage is published in the September publication only.
M313P
* The Form numbers and publication numbers appear on the surveys previously conducted by the Census Bureau.
M311J
M311J
Universe
M311C
Corn (Wet and Dry Producers of Ethanol)
Mandatory
Mandatory
Universe
submitted in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, Pub. L. 104-13
and Office of Management and Budget regulations at 5 CFR part 1320.
All NASS employees and NASS contractors must also fully comply with all provisions
of the Confidential Information Protection and Statistical Efficiency Act (CIPSEA) of
2018, Title III of Pub. L. No. 115-435, codified in 44 U.S.C. Ch. 35. CIPSEA supports
NASS’s pledge of confidentiality to all respondents and facilitates the agency’s efforts
to reduce burden by supporting statistical activities of collaborative agencies through
designation of NASS agents, subject to the limitations and penalties described in
CIPSEA.
Estimate of Burden: Public reporting burden for this collection of information is
estimated to average 8 – 40 minutes per response. Publicity materials and instruction
sheets will account for about 15 minutes of additional burden per respondent, annually.
Respondents who refuse to complete the survey will be allotted 2 minutes of burden per
attempt to collect the data.
Respondents: The target population will consist of managers of processing facilities
that produce oils and fats from animals, grains, oilseeds, nuts, tree fruits or vegetables;
or operations that are involved in the storing, rendering, or marketing of these products.
Managers of ethanol plants, cotton gins, and flour mills will also be included in the
target population for this group of surveys.
Estimated Number of Respondents: 760.
Estimated Total Annual Burden on Respondents: 2,400 hours.
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 through
the use of appropriate automated, electronic, mechanical, technological or other forms
of information technology collection methods.
All responses to this notice will become a matter of public record and be summarized in
the request for OMB approval.
Signed at Washington, D.C., December 15, 2022.
Kevin L. Barnes,
Associate Administrator.
[FR Doc. 2023-01985 Filed: 1/30/2023 8:45 am; Publication Date: 1/31/2023]