32228 Federal Register / Vol. 78, No. 103 / Wednesday, May 29, 2013 / Notices 

with approximately 6,725 

recordkeepers. 

Regulations Section 46.20—Records 

Reflecting Lot Numbers: Average of 8.25 

hours with approximately 683 

recordkeepers. 

Regulations Section 46.46(c)(2)— 

Waiver of Rights to Trust Protection: 

Average of .25 hours per notice with 

approximately 100 principals. 

Regulations Sections 46.2(aa)(11) and 

46.46(e)(1)—Copy of Written Agreement 

Reflecting Times for Payment: Average 

of 20 hours with approximately 2,343 

recordkeepers. 

Estimate of Burden: Public reporting 

burden for this collection of information 

is estimated to average 3 hours per 

response annually. 

Respondents: Commission merchants, 

dealers, and brokers engaged in the 

business of buying, selling, or 

negotiating the purchase or sale of 

commercial quantities of fresh and/or 

frozen fruits and vegetables in interstate 

or foreign commerce are required to be 

licensed under the PACA (7 U.S.C. 499c 

(a)). 

Estimated Number of Respondents: 

14,540. 

Estimated Total Annual Responses: 

29,095. 

Estimated Number of Responses per 

Respondent: 2. 

Estimated Total Annual Burden on 

Respondents: 87,455. 

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 document will 

be summarized and included in the 

request for OMB approval. All 

comments will become a matter of 

public record. 

Dated: May 21, 2013. 

Rex A. Barnes, 

Associate Administrator, Agricultural 

Marketing Service. 

[FR Doc. 2013–12653 Filed 5–28–13; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3410–02–P 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

Agricultural Marketing Service 

[AMS–CN–12–0029] 

Cotton Research and Promotion 

Program: Determination of Whether To 

Conduct a Referendum Regarding 

1990 Amendments to the Cotton 

Research and Promotion Act 

AGENCY: Agricultural Marketing Service, 

USDA. 

ACTION: Notice. 

SUMMARY: This notice announces the 

Department’s determination, based on a 

review by the Agricultural Marketing 

Service (AMS), that it is not necessary 

to conduct a referendum among 

producers and importers on 

continuation of the 1990 amendments to 

the Cotton Research and Promotion Act 

(Act). The 1990 amendments require the 

Secretary of Agriculture, once every 5 

years, to conduct a review to determine 

whether to hold a continuance 

referendum. The two major changes to 

the Cotton Research and Promotion 

Program made by the 1990 amendments 

were the elimination of assessment 

refunds to producers and a new 

assessment levied on imported cotton 

and the cotton content of imported 

products. Although USDA is of the view 

that a referendum is not needed, it will 

initiate a sign-up period as required by 

the Act, to allow cotton producers and 

importers the opportunity to request a 

continuance referendum. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Shethir M. Riva, Chief, Research and 

Promotion Division, Cotton and 

Tobacco Programs, AMS, USDA, 100 

Riverside Parkway, Suite 101, 

Fredericksburg, Virginia, 22406, 

telephone (540) 361–2726, facsimile 

(540) 361–1199, or email at 

Shethir.Riva@ams.usda.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In July 

1991, the Agricultural Marketing 

Service (AMS) implemented the 1990 

amendments to the Cotton Research and 

Promotion Act (7 U.S.C. 2101–2118) 

(Act). These amendments provided for: 

(1) Importer representation on the 

Cotton Board by an appropriate number 

of persons—to be determined by the 

Secretary—who import cotton or cotton 

products into the United States (U.S.) 

and are selected by the Secretary from 

nominations submitted by importer 

organizations certified by the Secretary 

of Agriculture; (2) assessments levied on 

imported cotton and cotton products at 

a rate determined in the same manner 

as for U.S. cotton; (3) increasing the 

amount the Secretary can be reimbursed 

for conducting a referendum from 

$200,000 to $300,000; (4) reimbursing 

government agencies who assist in 

administering the collection of 

assessments on imported cotton and 

cotton products; and (5) terminating the 

right of producers to demand an 

assessment refund. 

Results of the initial July 1991 

referendum showed that of the 46,220 

valid ballots received with 27,879 or 60 

percent of the persons voted in favor of 

the amendments to the Cotton Research 

and Promotion Order (7 CFR part 1205) 

(Order) and 18,341 or 40 percent 

opposed the amendments. AMS 

developed implementing regulations for 

the import assessment effective July 31, 

1992 (57 FR 29181); the elimination of 

the producer refund effective July 31, 

1992 (57 FR 29181); and provided for 

importer representation on the Cotton 

Board effective December 21, 1991 (56 

FR 65979). 

USDA conducted 5-year reviews of 

the Cotton Research and Promotion 

Program in 1996, 2001 and 2006. For 

each review, the Department prepared 

reports that described the impact of the 

Cotton Research and Promotion Program 

on the cotton industry and the views of 

those receiving its benefits. Following 

each review, USDA announced its 

decision not to conduct a referendum 

regarding the 1991 amendments to the 

Order (61 FR 52772, 67 FR 1714, and 72 

FR 9918, respectively) and subsequently 

held sign-up periods, affording all 

eligible persons to request a 

continuance referendum on the 1990 

Act amendments. The results of each 

sign-up period did not meet the criteria 

as established by the Act for a 

continuance referendum and, therefore, 

referenda were not conducted. 

In 2011–2012, the Department again 

prepared a 5-year report that described 

the impact of the Cotton Research and 

Promotion Program on the cotton 

industry. The review report is available 

upon written request to the Chief of the 

Cotton Research and Promotion Staff at 

the address provided above. Comments 

were solicited from all interested 

parties, including persons who pay the 

assessments as well as from 

organizations representing cotton 

producers and importers (76 FR 31573). 

Five comments, including comments 

from four certified producer 

organizations that nominate producers 

to the Cotton Board, claimed strong 

support for the continuance of the 

program, noting that the administration 

of the Act has been proper, carries out 

the intent and purpose in a timely and 

superior manner, and requires no 

changes or adjustment. 


tkelley on DSK3SPTVN1PROD with NOTICES
Federal Register / Vol. 78, No. 103 / Wednesday, May 29, 2013 / Notices 32229 

USDA reviewed the Cotton Research 

and Promotion Program major program 

activities and accomplishments, 

including third-party evaluations of 

advertising and marketing activities and 

other functional areas; the results of 

producer and importer awareness and 

satisfaction surveys; and data from the 

Foreign Agricultural Service. USDA also 

reviewed the results of the Cotton 

Board’s 2011 independent program 

evaluation, which assessed the 

effectiveness of the Cotton Research and 

Promotion Program; the strength of 

cotton’s competitive position; the ability 

to maintain and expand domestic and 

foreign markets; increases in the number 

of uses for cotton; and estimates of a 

return on investment for stakeholders 

and qualitative benefits and returns 

associated with the Cotton Research and 

Promotion Program. The review report 

concluded that the 1990 amendments to 

the Act were successfully implemented 

and are operating as intended. The 

report also noted that there is a general 

consensus within the cotton industry 

that the Cotton Research and Promotion 

Program and the 1990 amendments to 

the Act are operating as intended. 

Written comments, economic data, and 

results from independent evaluations 

support this conclusion. 

Although USDA found no compelling 

reason to conduct a referendum 

regarding the 1990 Act amendments to 

the Cotton Research and Promotion 

Order, some program participants 

support a referendum. Therefore, USDA 

will initiate a sign-up period in 

accordance with the Act. During this 

sign-up period, eligible producers and 

importers may sign-up to request such 

a referendum at the county office of the 

Farm Service Agency (FSA), or by 

mailing such a request to FSA. The 

Secretary will conduct a referendum if 

requested by 10 percent or more of the 

number of cotton producers and 

importers voting in the most recent 

referendum (July 1991), with not more 

than 20 percent of such request from 

producers in one state or importers of 

cotton. 

Current procedures for the conduct of 

a sign-up period appear at 7 CFR 

sections 1205.10–1205.30. These 

procedures will be updated as 

appropriate prior to the beginning of the 

sign-up period. 

Authority: 7 U.S.C. 2101–2118. 

Dated: May 21, 2013. 

Rex A. Barnes, 

Associate Administrator, Agricultural 

Marketing Service. 

[FR Doc. 2013–12655 Filed 5–28–13; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3410–02–P 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

Animal and Plant Health Inspection 

Service 

[Docket No. APHIS–2013–0011] 

Notice of Request for Revision to and 

Extension of Approval of an 

Information Collection; Virus-SerumToxin Act and Regulations 

AGENCY: Animal and Plant Health 

Inspection Service, USDA. 

ACTION: Revision to and extension of 

approval of an information collection; 

comment request. 

SUMMARY: In accordance with the 

Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this 

notice announces the Animal and Plant 

Health Inspection Service’s intention to 

request a revision to and extension of 

approval of an information collection 

associated with the Virus-Serum-Toxin 

Act and regulations. 

DATES: We will consider all comments 

that we receive on or before July 29, 

2013. 

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments 

by either of the following methods: 

• Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to 

http://www.regulations.gov/ 

#!documentDetail;D=APHIS-2013-0011- 

0001. 

• Postal Mail/Commercial Delivery: 

Send your comment to Docket No. 

APHIS–2013–0011, Regulatory Analysis 

and Development, PPD, APHIS, Station 

3A–03.8, 4700 River Road Unit 118, 

Riverdale, MD 20737–1238. 

Supporting documents and any 

comments we receive on this docket 

may be viewed at http:// 

www.regulations.gov/ 

#!docketDetail;D=APHIS-2013-0011 or 

in our reading room, which is located in 

room 1141 of the USDA South Building, 

14th Street and Independence Avenue 

SW., Washington, DC. Normal reading 

room hours are 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., 

Monday through Friday, except 

holidays. To be sure someone is there to 

help you, please call (202) 799–7039 

before coming. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For 

information regarding the Virus-SerumToxin Act and regulations, contact Dr. 

Donna Malloy, Section Leader, Policy, 

Evaluation and Licensing, CVB, APHIS, 

4700 River Road Unit 148, Riverdale, 

MD 20737; (301) 851–3426. For copies 

of more detailed information on the 

information collection, contact Mrs. 

Celeste Sickles, APHIS’ Information 

Collection Coordinator, at (301) 851– 

2908. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Title: Virus-Serum-Toxin Act and 

Regulations. 

OMB Number: 0579–0013. 

Type of Request: Revision to and 

extension of approval of an information 

collection. 

Abstract: Under the Virus-SerumToxin Act (21 U.S.C. 151–159), the 

Animal and Plant Health Inspection 

Service (APHIS) is authorized to 

promulgate regulations designed to 

prevent the importation, preparation, 

sale, or shipment of harmful veterinary 

biological products. These regulations 

are contained in 9 CFR parts 102 to 124. 

Veterinary biological products 

include viruses, serums, toxins, and 

analogous products of natural or 

synthetic origin, such as vaccines, 

antitoxins, or the immunizing 

components of microorganisms 

intended for the diagnosis, treatment, or 

prevention of diseases in domestic 

animals. 

APHIS issues licenses to qualified 

establishments that produce veterinary 

biological products and issues permits 

to importers of such products. APHIS 

also enforces requirements concerning 

production, packaging, labeling, and 

shipping of these products and sets 

standards for the testing of these 

products. 

To help ensure that veterinary 

biological products used in the United 

States are pure, safe, potent, and 

effective, APHIS requires certain 

information collection activities, 

including, among other things, 

establishment license applications, 

product license applications, product 

import permit applications, product and 

test report forms, field study summaries, 

and recordkeeping. These information 

activities have been approved by the 

Office of Management and Budget 

(OMB) under control number 0579– 

0013. 

In addition, in accordance with the 

regulations in 9 CFR 105.3 and 115.2, 

APHIS may notify a veterinary biologics 

licensee or permittee to stop the 

preparation, importation, and/or 

distribution and sale of a serial or a 

subserial of a veterinary biological 

product if, at any time, it appears that 

such product may be worthless, 

contaminated, dangerous, or harmful in 

the treatment of animals. This 

notification triggers two information 

collection activities: (1) After being 

contacted by APHIS, veterinary 

biologics licensees or permittees must 

immediately, but no later than 2 days, 

send stop distribution and sale 

notifications to any wholesalers, 

jobbers, dealers, foreign consignees, or 

other persons known to have such 

veterinary biological product in their 


tkelley on DSK3SPTVN1PROD with NOTICES