82822 Federal Register / Vol. 88, No. 226 / Monday, November 27, 2023 / Notices 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

Agricultural Marketing Service 

[Doc. No. AMS–SC–23–0059] 

Notice of Request for Extension and 

Revision of a Currently Approved 

Information Collection 

AGENCY: Agricultural Marketing Service, 

USDA. 

ACTION: Notice and request for 

comments. 

SUMMARY: In accordance with the 

Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this 

notice announces the Agricultural 

Marketing Service’s (AMS) intention to 

request an extension and revision to the 

approved forms and information 

collection for marketing orders covering 

various vegetables and specialty crops. 

DATES: Comments on this notice are due 

by January 26, 2024 to be assured of 

consideration. 

ADDRESSES: Interested persons are 

invited to submit written comments 

concerning this notice. Comments must 

be sent to the Docket Clerk, Market 

Development Division, Specialty Crops 

Program, AMS, USDA, 1400 

Independence Avenue SW, STOP 0237, 

Washington, DC 20250–0237; Fax: (202) 

720–8938; or online at https://

www.regulations.gov. Comments should 

reference the docket number and the 

date and page number of this issue of 

the Federal Register and will be 

available for public inspection in the 

Office of the Docket Clerk during regular 

business hours, or can be viewed at: 

https://www.regulations.gov. All 

comments submitted in response to this 

notice will be included in the record 

and will be made available to the 

public. Please be advised that the 

identity of individuals or entities 

submitting the comments will be made 

available to the public on the internet at 

the address provided above. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Matthew Pavone, Chief, Rulemaking 

Services Branch, Market Development 

Division, Specialty Crops Program, 

AMS, USDA, 1400 Independence 

Avenue SW, STOP 0237, Room 1406–S, 

Washington, DC 20250–0237; 

Telephone: (202) 720–8085; Fax: (202) 

720–8938; or Email: matthew.pavone@

usda.gov. 

Small businesses may request 

information on this notice by contacting 

Richard Lower, Market Development 

Division, Specialty Crops Program, 

AMS, USDA, 1400 Independence 

Avenue SW, STOP 0237, Room 1406–S, 

Washington, DC 20250–0237; 

Telephone (202) 720–8085; Fax: (202) 

720–8938; or Email: Richard.Lower@

usda.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Title: Vegetable and Specialty Crops. 

OMB Number: 0581–0178. 

Expiration Date of Approval: March 

31, 2024. 

Type of Request: Extension and 

Revision of a currently approved 

information collection. 

Abstract: Marketing order programs 

provide an opportunity for producers of 

fresh fruits, vegetables and specialty 

crops, in specified production areas, to 

work together to solve marketing 

problems that cannot be solved 

individually. This notice covers the 

following marketing order citations: 7 

CFR parts 932 (California olives), 945 

(Idaho/Oregon potatoes), 978 (Colorado 

potatoes), 955 (Vidalia onions), 956 

(Walla Walla onions), 958 (Idaho/ 

Oregon onions), 959 (South Texas 

onions), 966 (Florida tomatoes), 981 

(California almonds), 982 (Oregon/ 

Washington hazelnuts), 984 (California 

walnuts), 985 (Northwest spearmint oil), 

987 (California dates), 989 (California 

raisins), 993 (California dried prunes), 

and 999 (Specialty Crop Import 

Regulations). 

Marketing Order 946 (Washington 

potatoes) has been terminated since the 

last three-year renewal period of this 

information collection package. 

Currently, handling requirements for 

Marketing Order 993 (California dried 

prunes) are suspended at the industry’s 

request, meaning its information 

collection requirements are not active. 

In addition, the import regulation for 

California dried prunes, as contained in 

7 CFR part 999.200—Regulation 

governing the importation of prunes—is 

indefinitely suspended, effective 

February 17, 2009 (74 FR 2806). 

Marketing order requirements help 

ensure adequate supplies of high-quality 

product and adequate returns to 

producers. Marketing orders are 

authorized under the Agricultural 

Marketing Agreement Act of 1937 (Act), 

as amended (7 U.S.C. 601–674). The 

Secretary of Agriculture oversees the 

marketing order operations and issues 

regulations recommended by a 

committee of representatives from each 

commodity industry. 

The information collection 

requirements in this request are 

essential to carry out the intent of the 

Act, to provide the respondents the type 

of service they request, and to 

administer the marketing orders. Under 

the Act, marketing orders may 

authorize: Production and marketing 

research, including paid advertising; 

volume regulation; reserves, including 

pools and producer allotments; 

container requirements; and quality 

control. Assessments are levied on 

handlers regulated under the marketing 

orders. Section 8e of the Act requires 

imports of 14 commodities to meet 

certain quality standards. Included 

among these commodities are some 

covered in this forms package: olives, 

potatoes, onion, tomatoes, walnuts, 

dates, dried prunes, and raisins. 

USDA requires several forms to be 

filed to enable the administration of 

each marketing order. These include 

forms covering the selection process for 

industry members to serve on a 

marketing order’s committee or board 

and ballots used in referenda to amend 

or continue marketing orders. 

Under Federal marketing orders, 

producers and handlers are nominated 

by their peers to serve as representatives 

on a committee or board which 

administers each program. Nominees 

must provide information on their 

qualifications to serve on the committee 

or board. Qualified nominees are then 

appointed by the Secretary. 

Amendments to marketing orders made 

through Formal rulemaking must be 

approved in referenda conducted by 

USDA and the Secretary. For the 

purposes of this action, ballots are 

considered information collections and 

are subject to the Paperwork Reduction 

Act. If a marketing order is amended, 

handlers are asked to sign an agreement 

indicating their willingness to abide by 

the provisions of the amended 

marketing order. 

Some forms are required to be filed 

with the committee or board. The 

marketing orders authorize the 

respective committee or board, the 

agencies responsible for local 

administration of the marketing orders, 

to require handlers and producers to 

submit certain information. Much of the 

information is compiled in aggregate 

and provided to the respective 

industries to assist in marketing 

decisions. The committees and boards 

developed forms as a means for persons 

to file required information relating to 

supplies, shipments, and dispositions of 

their respective commodities, and other 

information needed to effectively carry 

out the purpose of the Act and their 

respective orders, and these forms are 

utilized accordingly. 

The forms covered under this 

information collection require 

respondents to provide the minimum 

information necessary to effectively 

carry out the requirements of the 

marketing orders, and use of these forms 

is necessary to fulfill the intent of the 

Act as expressed in the marketing 

orders. 


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Federal Register / Vol. 88, No. 226 / Monday, November 27, 2023 / Notices 82823 

The information collected is used 

only by authorized employees of the 

committees and authorized 

representatives of the USDA, including 

AMS Specialty Crops Program’s regional 

and headquarters’ staff. Authorized 

committee or board employees are the 

primary users of the information and 

AMS is the secondary user. 

Estimate of Burden: Public reporting 

burden for this collection of information 

is estimated to average 0.32 hours per 

response. 

Respondents: Producers, handlers, 

processors, dehydrators, cooperatives, 

manufacturers, importers, and public 

members. 

Estimated Number of Respondents: 

14,190. 

Estimated Number of Responses: 

61,906. 

Estimated Number of Responses per 

Respondent: 4.36. 

Estimated Total Annual Burden on 

Respondents: 19,617 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 

through the use of appropriate 

automated, electronic, mechanical, or 

other technological collection 

techniques or other forms of information 

technology. 

Comments should reference OMB No. 

0581–0178 Vegetable and Specialty 

Crops be sent to the USDA in care of the 

Docket Clerk at the address above. All 

comments received will be available for 

public inspection during regular 

business hours at the same address. 

All responses to this notice will be 

summarized and included in the request 

for OMB approval. All comments will 

also become a matter of public record. 

Erin Morris, 

Associate Administrator, Agricultural 

Marketing Service. 

[FR Doc. 2023–26087 Filed 11–24–23; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3410–02–P 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

Rural Utilities Service 

[Docket No. RUS–23–AGENCY–0018] 

Notice of Request for Revision of a 

Currently Approved Information 

Collection 

AGENCY: Rural Utilities Service, USDA. 

ACTION: Notice and request for 

comments. 

SUMMARY: In accordance with the 

Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this 

notice invites comments on the OneRD 

Loan Guarantee Program information 

collection package and announces the 

Rural Utilities Service intention to 

request a revision for to a currently 

approved information collection from 

the Office of management and Budget 

(OMB). 

DATES: Comments on this notice must be 

received by January 26, 2024 to be 

assured of consideration. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Contact Adyam Negasi, Innovation 

Center, Regulations Management 

Division, U.S. Department of 

Agriculture, 1400 Independence Ave. 

SW, Washington, DC 20250; Tel: 202– 

221–9298; Email: Adyam.Negasi@

usda.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Office 

of Management and Budget’s regulation 

(5 CFR part 1320) implementing 

provisions of the Paperwork Reduction 

Act of 1995 (Pub. L. 104–13) requires 

that interested members of the public 

and affected agencies have an 

opportunity to comment on information 

collection and recordkeeping activities 

(see 5 CFR 1320.8(d)). This notice 

identifies an information collection that 

the Agency is submitting to OMB for 

revision. 

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 burden including 

the validity of the methodology and 

assumption 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 the use of 

appropriate automated, electronic, 

mechanical, or other technological 

collection techniques on other forms 

and information technology. 

Comments may be sent by the Federal 

eRulemaking Portal: Go to https://

www.regulations.gov and, in the 

‘‘Search’’ box, type in the Docket No. 

RUS–23–AGENCY–0018. A link to the 

Notice will appear. You may submit a 

comment here by selecting the 

‘‘Comment’’ button or you can access 

the ‘‘Docket’’ tab, select the ‘‘Notice,’’ 

and go to the ‘‘Browse & Comment on 

Documents’’ tab. Here you may view 

comments that have been submitted as 

well as submit a comment. To submit a 

comment, select the ‘‘Comment’’ button, 

complete the required information, and 

select the ‘‘Submit Comment’’ button at 

the bottom. Information on using 

Regulations.gov, including instructions 

for accessing documents, submitting 

comments, and viewing the docket after 

the close of the comment period, is 

available through the site’s ‘‘FAQ’’ link 

at the bottom. 

Title: OneRD Guaranteed Loan 

Program. 

OMB Number: 0572–0155. 

Expiration Date of Approval: 04/30/ 

2024. 

Type of Request: Revision of a 

currently approved information 

collection. 

Abstract: Rural Development has a 

consolidated guaranteed loan regulation 

that covers four guaranteed loan 

programs in one regulation (Community 

Facilities, Water and Waste Disposal, 

Business and Industry, and Rural 

Energy for America Program). Rural 

Development, a mission area of the U.S. 

Department of Agriculture (USDA), is 

comprised of three agencies (Rural 

Utilities Service (RUS), Rural Housing 

Service (RHS), and Rural BusinessCooperative Service (RBCS)), that 

together administer loans through the 

OneRD Guaranteed Loan Program (or 

Program) pursuant to 7 CFR part 5001. 

Loans are used for water and waste 

disposal systems, essential community 

infrastructure such as healthcare, 

libraries and fire stations, and the 

development and improvement of 

businesses and industries in rural 

communities. The Program encourages 

lender participation and provides 

specific guidance in the processing and 

servicing of guaranteed loans. 

Estimate of Burden: Public reporting 

burden for this collection of information 

is estimated to average 3.84 hours per 

response. 

Respondents: Public Bodies; NonProfits; Special Districts; Tribal 

Organizations. 

Estimated Number of Respondents: 

725. 

Estimated Number of Responses per 

Respondent: 19.09. 

Estimated Total Annual Burden on 

Respondents: 53110.75. 

Copies of this information collection 

can be obtained from Adyam Negasi, 


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