[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 146 (Friday, July 30, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Pages 44934-44935]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-18759]
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Notices
Federal Register
________________________________________________________________________
This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER contains documents other than rules
or proposed rules that are applicable to the public. Notices of hearings
and investigations, committee meetings, agency decisions and rulings,
delegations of authority, filing of petitions and applications and agency
statements of organization and functions are examples of documents
appearing in this section.
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Federal Register / Vol. 75, No. 146 / Friday, July 30, 2010 /
Notices
[[Page 44934]]
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Agricultural Marketing Service
[Doc. No. AMS-DA-10-0061; DA-10-05]
Notice of Request for Extension and Revision of a Currently
Approved Information Collection
AGENCY: Agricultural Marketing Service, USDA.
ACTION: Notice and request for comments.
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SUMMARY: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44
U.S.C. Chapter 35), this notice announces the Agricultural Marketing
Service's (AMS) intention to request an extension for and revision to a
currently approved information collection for report forms under the
Federal milk marketing order program.
DATES: Comments on this notice must be received by September 28, 2010
to be assured of consideration.
ADDRESSES: Interested persons are invited to submit written comments
electronically at http://www.regulations.gov or to the Office of the
Deputy Administrator, Dairy Programs, AMS, USDA, 1400 Independence
Avenue, SW., Room 2968 South, Stop 0225, Washington, DC 20250-0225.
Comments should make reference to the date and page number of this
issue of the Federal Register. All comments will be posted
electronically without change; including any personal information
provided at http://regulations.gov. Comments will also be available for
public inspection in the above office during regular business hours.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: William F. Newell, Chief, Order
Operations Branch, Dairy Programs, (202) 690-2375, FAX: (202)720-2454.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Title: Report Forms Under Federal Milk Orders (From Milk Handlers
and Milk Marketing Cooperatives).
OMB Number: 0581-0032.
Expiration Date of Approval: December 31, 2010.
Type of Request: Extension and revision of a currently approved
information collection.
Abstract: Federal milk marketing order regulations authorized under
the Agricultural Marketing Agreement Act of 1937, as amended (7 U.S.C.
601-674), require milk handlers to report in detail the receipts and
utilization of milk and milk products handled at each of their plants
that are regulated by a Federal order. The data are needed to
administer the classified pricing system and related requirements of
each Federal order.
A Federal milk marketing order (hereinafter, Order) is a regulation
issued by the Secretary of Agriculture that places certain requirements
on the handling of milk in the area it covers. Each Order is
established under the authority of the Act. The Order requires that
handlers of milk for a marketing area pay not less than certain minimum
class prices according to how the milk is used. These prices are
established under each Order after a public hearing at which evidence
is received on the supply and demand conditions for milk in the market.
An Order requires that payments for milk be pooled and paid to
individual farmers or cooperative associations of farmers on the basis
of a uniform or average price. Thus, all eligible farmers (producers)
share in the market wide use-values of milk by regulated handlers.
Milk Orders help ensure adequate supplies of milk and dairy
products for consumers and adequate returns to producers.
The Orders also provide for the public dissemination of market
statistics and other information for the benefit of producers,
handlers, and consumers.
Formal rulemaking amendments to the Orders must be approved in
referenda conducted by the Secretary.
During 2009, 46,677 dairy farmers delivered over 123 billion pounds
of milk to handlers regulated under the milk orders. This volume
represents 66 percent of all milk marketed in the U.S. and 66 percent
of the milk of bottling quality (Grade A) sold in the country. The
value of this milk delivered to Federal milk order handlers at minimum
order blend prices was nearly $15.9 billion. Producer deliveries of
milk used in Class I products (mainly fluid milk products) totaled 47
billion pounds--37 percent of total producer deliveries. More than 239
million Americans reside in Federal milk order marketing areas--80
percent of the total U.S. population.
Each Order is administered by a market administrator who is an
agent of the Secretary of Agriculture. The market administrator is
authorized to levy assessments on regulated handlers to carry out the
market administrator's duties and responsibilities under the Orders.
Additional duties of the market administrators are to prescribe reports
required of each handler, to assure that handlers properly account for
milk and milk products, and to assure that such handlers pay producers
and associations of producers according to the provisions of the Order.
The market administrator employs a staff that verifies handlers'
reports by examining records to determine that the required payments
are made to producers. Most reports required from handlers are
submitted monthly to the market administrator.
The forms used by the market administrators are required by the
respective Orders that are authorized by the Act. The forms are used to
establish: The quantity of milk received by handlers, the pooling
status of the handler, the class-use of the milk used by the handler,
and the butterfat content and amounts of other components of the milk.
The forms covered under this information collection require the
minimum information necessary to effectively carry out the requirements
of the Orders, and their use is necessary to fulfill the intent of the
Act as expressed in the Orders and in the rules and regulations issued
under the Orders.
The information collected is used only by authorized employees of
the market administrator and authorized representatives of the USDA,
including AMS Dairy Programs' headquarters staff.
Estimate of Burden: Public reporting burden for this collection of
information is estimated to average 1.07 hours per response.
Respondents: Milk handlers and milk marketing cooperatives.
Estimated Number of Respondents: 740
Estimated Number of Responses: 20,565
[[Page 44935]]
Estimated Number of Responses per Respondent: 28
Estimated Total Annual Burden on Respondents: 21,818 hours
Comments are invited on: (1) 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; (2) 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; (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 the use of appropriate automated, electronic,
mechanical, or other technological collection techniques or other forms
of information technology.
All responses to this notice will be summarized and included in the
request for OMB approval. All comments will become a matter of public
record.
Dated: July 27, 2010.
David R. Shipman,
Acting Administrator, Agricultural Marketing Service.
[FR Doc. 2010-18759 Filed 7-29-10; 8:45 am]
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