[Federal Register: December 30, 2002 (Volume 67, Number 250)]
[Notices]
[Page 79556-79557]
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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Commodity Credit Corporation
Farm Service Agency
Information Collection
AGENCY: Commodity Credit Corporation; Farm Service Agency, USDA.
ACTION: Notice and request for comments.
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SUMMARY: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the
Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) and the Farm Service Agency (FSA)
are seeking comments from all interested individuals and organizations
on the reinstatement and revision of previously approved information
collections with respect to the acreage report for the Non-Insured Crop
Disaster Assistance Program (NAP) and the Tobacco Program, payers'
requests for identifying numbers, the tobacco marketing quota referenda
and receiving station information reporting, assignments of payments
and joint payment authorizations, the Lamb Meat Adjustment Assistant
Program and designation of burley tobacco sales and program payment
applications. Comments are also requested on extension and revision of
a currently approved information collection with respect to tobacco
farm reconstitutions. These information collections are needed to
administer FSA's programs.
DATES: Comments on this notice must be received on or before February
28, 2003, to be assured consideration. Comments received after that
date will be considered to the extent practicable. Comments should
reference the OMB number and title of the information collection to
which they pertain.
ADDRESSES: Comments should be sent to Tom Witzig, Director, Regulatory
Review and Foreign Investment Disclosure Group, Economic and Policy
Analysis Staff, Farm Service Agency, STOP 0540, 1400 Independence
Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 20250-0540, (202) 205-5851; e-mail Tom--
Witzig@wdc.fsa.usda.gov and to the Desk Officer for Agriculture, Office
of Information and Regulatory Affairs, Office of Management and Budget,
Washington, DC 20503. All comments will become a matter of public
record. For further information, contact Tom Witzig at the address
listed above.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Title: Report of Acreage for the Non-Insured Crop Disaster
Assistance Program and the Tobacco Program.
OMB Number: 0560-0004.
Type of Request: Reinstatement with revision of a previously
approved information collection.
Abstract: Crop and acreage information is collected from producers
to determine eligibility for the Non-Insured Crop Disaster Assistance
Program (NAP) and the Tobacco Program. NAP provides financial
assistance to eligible producers affected by natural disasters. NAP
assistance is available for crops for which federal crop insurance is
not available. NAP operates under the regulations at 7 CFR part 1437.
The tobacco programs establish marketing quotas for individual farms
that directly control the amount of tobacco that a producer may sell
and operate under the regulations at 7 CFR part 1464.
Respondents: Farmers who produce eligible crops under NAP and
tobacco farmers.
Estimated Annual Number of Respondents: 772,000.
Estimated Annual Number of Forms per person: 1.5.
Estimated Average Time to Respond: .95 hours.
Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 1,094,513.
Title: Payers' Request for Identifying Number.
OMB Number: 0560-0121.
Type of Request: Reinstatement of a previously approved information
collection.
Abstract: This collection of information is needed to obtain a
Social Security, employer identification or IRS-assigned number from
persons who receive CCC or FSA program payments who do not already have
an identifying number on file with FSA. Such persons are required by
the Internal Revenue to furnish identifying numbers to payers required
to report such payments to the Internal Revenue Service. The form used
for collecting the information is prepared by FSA and sent to the payee
for completion with a self-addressed, postage-paid return envelope.
Respondents: Persons receiving payments from FSA.
Estimated Annual Number of Respondents: 250.
Estimated Annual Number of Responses Per Person: 1.
Estimated Average Time to Respond: 5 minutes.
Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 20.83 hours.
[[Page 79557]]
Title: Tobacco Marketing Quota Referenda and Receiving Station
Information Reporting.
OMB Number: 0560-0182.
Type of Request: Reinstatement with revision of a previously
approved information collection.
Abstract: Referenda are required by statute to be held every three
years for each type of tobacco subject to marketing quotas to determine
if quotas are to be in effect for the succeeding three years. The
collection of information for the referenda consists of the ballots,
which may also include other, tobacco-related questions required by
Congress to solicit producers' opinions about other aspects of the
tobacco program or to allow them to vote on some program provisions in
some States. The referenda are operated under the regulations at 7 part
717. The information collected from receiving stations consists of
receiving station registration and purchase information needed to
ensure that tobacco marking quotas are effective. The regulations
governing the receiving stations are at 7 CFR parts 723 and 1464.
Respondents: Tobacco producers and receiving stations.
Estimated Annual Number of Respondents: 325,000.
Estimated Annual Number of Responses Per Person: 1.
Estimated Average Time to Respond: 53 minutes.
Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 290,000.
Title: Assignments of Payments and Joint Payment Authorizations.
OMB Number: 0560-0183.
Type of Request: Reinstatement with revisions of a previously
approved information collection.
Abstract: When the recipient of a CCC or FSA payment chooses to
assign a payment to another party or have the payment made jointly with
another party, the other party must be identified. This is a free
service that is available upon request by the program payee. The
regulations for assignment of payments are at 7 CFR part 1404.
Respondents: Persons receiving payments from CCC or FSA.
Estimated Annual Number of Respondents: 70,900.
Estimated Annual Number of Responses Per Person: 1.
Estimated Average Time to Respond: 10 minutes.
Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 11,816.
Title: Lamb Meat Adjustment Assistance Program.
OMB Number: 0560-0205.
Type of Request: Reinstatement of a previously approved information
collection.
Abstract: This information collection is needed to obtain
information from program participants on their sheep and lamb
operations. The information is used to establish eligibility and
determine payment amounts. The program is operated under the
regulations at 7 CFR part 784.
Respondents: Sheep and lamb producers.
Estimated Annual Number of Respondents: 60,000.
Estimated Number of Responses Per Person: 5.05.
Estimated Average Time to Respond: 1.16 hours.
Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 351,257.
Title: Designation of Burley Tobacco Sales and Program Payment
Applications.
OMB Number: 0560-0217.
Type of Request: Reinstatement of a previously approved information
collection.
Abstract: This collection of information is needed to allow USDA to
assign tobacco graders as needed to auction warehouses in order to
grade tobacco that is delivered for sale. Information is collected on
where burley tobacco producers intend to sell their tobacco and program
applicant information for all kinds of tobacco, which is used to
determine eligibility for benefits. The program is operated under the
regulations at 7 CFR part 1464.
Respondents: Burley tobacco producers.
Estimated Annual Number of Respondents: 150,800.
Estimated Annual Number of Responses Per Person: 1.
Estimated Average Time to Respond: 1.25 hours.
Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 188,500 hours.
Title: Tobacco Farm Reconstitutions.
OMB Number: 0560-0025.
Expiration Date: March 31, 2003.
Type of Request: Extension with revision of a currently approved
information collection.
Abstract: The reconstitution process is required when a producer
wishes to increase acreage attributed to the farm from leases, change
farm acreage records as a result of a sale of any part of a farm,
combine a farm with another farm or divide a farm into multiple farming
operations. The FSA country committee must approve or disapprove all
proposed farm reconstitutions. The information is necessary to
determine farmland, cropland, and changes to quotas or allotments
resulting from combinations or divisions of farming operations.
Respondents: Tobacco farm owners and operators.
Estimated Annual Number of Respondents: 7,154.
Estimated Annual Number of Responses Per Person: 1.
Estimated Average Time to Respond: 45 minutes.
Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 5,365 hours.
Comments are invited on each of the information collections in this
notice 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 assumption used: (3) ways to enhance the quality,
utility and clarity of the information to be collected; and (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.
All comments received in response to this notice, including names
and addresses when provided, will be a matter of public record.
Comments will be summarized and included in the submission for OMB
approval.
Signed in Washington, DC on December 20, 2002.
James R. Little,
Administrator, Farm Service Agency, and Executive Vice-President,
Commodity Credit Corporation.
[FR Doc. 02-32804 Filed 12-27-02; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-05-M
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