Notice2025-01963
Notice of Intent To Request Revision and Extension of a Currently Approved Information Collection
Primary source
Metadata and text below are from the Federal Register, a public-domain U.S. government work. Always verify the official published version before relying on it for any legal matter.
Published
January 30, 2025
Issuing agencies
Agriculture DepartmentNational Agricultural Statistics Service
Abstract
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 Annual Organic Survey. USDA's Risk Management Agency (RMA) typically funds an organic production and practices survey in years where the Census of Agriculture Special Study for Organics is not conducted. The next Special Study is planned for 2025 (enumerated in early 2026). With the completion of the 2022 Census of Agriculture, NASS will conduct the Special Study again, return it to its' original scope of questions and the mandatory reporting requirement. This request will also include the 2026 and 2027 voluntary surveys that are funded by USDA-RMA. A minor revision to burden hours will be needed to account for the anticipated data collection plan for the upcoming surveys along with adding some cognitive interviews to test requested changes to the annual surveys.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 90 Issue 19 (Thursday, January 30, 2025)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 90, Number 19 (Thursday, January 30, 2025)]
[Notices]
[Pages 8514-8515]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2025-01963]
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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.
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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 Annual Organic Survey. USDA's Risk
Management Agency (RMA) typically funds an organic production and
practices survey in years where the Census of Agriculture Special Study
for Organics is not conducted. The next Special Study is planned for
2025 (enumerated in early 2026). With the completion of the 2022 Census
of Agriculture, NASS will conduct the Special Study again, return it to
its' original scope of questions and the mandatory reporting
requirement. This request will also include the 2026 and 2027 voluntary
surveys that are funded by USDA-RMA. A minor revision to burden hours
will be needed to account for the anticipated data collection plan for
the upcoming surveys along with adding some cognitive interviews to
test requested changes to the annual surveys.
DATES: Comments on this notice must be received by March 31, 2025 to be
assured of consideration.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments, identified by docket number 0535-
0249, Organic Survey, by any of the following methods:
<bullet> Email: <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#2a454748454c4c43494f586a444b5959045f594e4b044d455c"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="d4bbb9b6bbb2b2bdb7b1a694bab5a7a7faa1a7b0b5fab3bba2">[email protected]</span></a>. Include docket number
above in the subject line of the message.
<bullet> E-fax: (855) 838-6382.
<bullet> 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, DC
20250-2024.
<bullet> 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, DC 20250-2024.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Joseph J Prusacki, 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
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#c5aaa8a7aaa3a3aca6a0b785aba4b6b6ebb0b6a1a4eba2aab3"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="2f40424d404949464c4a5d6f414e5c5c015a5c4b4e01484059">[email protected]</span></a>.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Title: Organic Survey.
OMB Control Number: 0535-0249.
Type of Request: Intent to Seek Renewal of an Information
Collection.
Abstract: The primary objective of the National Agricultural
Statistics Service (NASS) is to prepare and issue State and national
estimates of crop and livestock production, prices, and disposition as
well as economic statistics, farm numbers, land values, on-farm
pesticide usage, pest crop management practices, as well as the Census
of Agriculture.
Originally, the Organic Survey was designed to be conducted once
every five years as a mandatory, follow-on-survey to the 2007 Census of
Agriculture and then every five years after that. In 2011, the
Information Collection Request was renewed to include that the survey
was changed to accommodate a cooperative agreement between NASS and the
USDA Risk Management Agency (RMA). Specifically, the survey was changed
to a voluntary survey that was to be conducted annually if funding
permitted, and it would allow for a rotation of target crops each year.
With the completion of the 2012 Census of Agriculture, NASS renewed the
Organic Survey again and returned it to its original scope of questions
and the mandatory reporting requirement. After the completion of the
2014 Organic Survey, NASS renewed its cooperative agreement with RMA to
conduct the shorter questionnaire on an annual basis.
The sample will consist of all certified organic operations,
operations exempt from organic certification (value of sales <$5,000),
and operations with acres transitioning into organic certification from
the most recent published Census of Agriculture as well as organic
operations currently on the NASS list frame. The survey will be
conducted in all States. Some operation level data will be collected to
use in classifying each operation for summary purposes. The majority of
the questions will involve production data (acres planted, acres
harvested, quantity harvested, quantity sold, livestock produced and
sold, value of sale, etc.), and marketing and production practices.
Depending on annual funding, approximately 27,000 operations will
be contacted by mail in late November or early December, with a second
mailing later in the month to non-respondents. Respondents will be able
to complete the questionnaire by use of the internet, if they so
choose. Telephone and personal enumeration will be used for remaining
non-response follow-up. If the survey is funded, the National
Agricultural Statistics Service will publish summaries in December at
both the State level and for each major organic commodity when
possible. Due to confidentiality rules, some State level data may be
combined and published at the regional or national level to prevent
disclosure of individual operation's data.
This collection of data will support requirements within the
Agricultural Act of 2014. Under section 11023 some of the duties of the
Federal Crop Insurance Corporation (FCIC) are defined as ``(i) IN
GENERAL--As soon as possible, but not later than the 2015 reinsurance
year, the Corporation shall offer producers of organic crops price
elections for all organic crops produced in compliance with standards
issued by the Department of Agriculture under the national organic
program established under the Organic Foods Production Act of 1990 (7
U.S.C. 6501 et seq.) that reflect the actual retail or wholesale
prices, as appropriate, received by producers for organic crops, as
determined by the Secretary using all relevant sources of information.
``(ii) ANNUAL REPORT.--The Corporation shall submit to the Committee on
Agriculture of the House of Representatives and the Committee on
Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry of the Senate an annual report on
progress made in developing and improving Federal crop insurance for
organic crops, including--``(I) the numbers and varieties of organic
crops insured; ``(II) the progress of implementing the price elections
required under this subparagraph, including the rate at which
additional price elections are adopted for organic crops; ``(III) the
development of new insurance approaches relevant to organic producers;
and ``(IV) any
[[Page 8515]]
recommendations the Corporation considers appropriate to improve
Federal crop insurance coverage for organic crops''.
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
as amended, 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 (44 U.S.C. 3501, et seq.) 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 Public Law
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 43 minutes per response.
Respondents: Farmers and Ranchers.
Estimated Number of Respondents: 27,000.
Estimated Total Annual Burden on Respondents: 9,500 hours (based on
an estimated 80% response rate, using two questionnaire mail attempts,
two pressure sealers/postcard mailings, and an Email blast, followed by
phone and personal enumeration for non-respondents).
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, DC, January 21, 2025.
Joseph J. Prusacki,
Associate Administrator.
[FR Doc. 2025-01963 Filed 1-29-25; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-20-P
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