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.

Notices Federal Register

60165

Vol. 65, No. 196

Tuesday, October 10, 2000

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Agricultural Marketing Service

[Docket No. FV00–33–1NC]

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 (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 the

Export Apple Act and the Export Grape

and Plum Act.

DATES: Comments on this notice must be

received by December 11, 2000, to be

assured of consideration.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION OR COMMENTS:

Contact Valerie L. Emmer-Scott,

Marketing Specialist, Marketing Order

Administration Branch, Fruit and

Vegetable Programs, AMS, USDA, P.O.

Box 96456, Room 2525–S, Washington,

D.C., 20090–6456, telephone (202) 205–

2829 or Fax (202) 720–5698, or E-mail:

moab.docketclerk@usda.gov.

Small businesses may request

information on this notice by contacting

Jay Guerber, Regulatory Fairness

Representative, Marketing Order

Administration Branch, Fruit and

Vegetable Programs, AMS, USDA, room

2525–S, P.O. Box 96456, Washington,

DC 20090–6456; telephone (202) 720–

2491, Fax: (202) 720–5698, or E-mail:

Jay.Guerber@usda.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Title: Export Fruit Regulations—

Export Apple Act (7 CFR Part 33) and

the Export Grape and Plum Act (7 CFR

Part 35).

OMB Number: 0581–0143.

Expiration Date of Approval: July 31,

2001.

Type of Request: Extension and

revision of a currently approved

information collection.

Abstract: Fresh apples and grapes

grown in the United States shipped to

any foreign destination must meet

minimum quality and other

requirements established by regulations

issued under the Export Apple Act (7

U.S.C. 581–590) and the Export Grape

and Plum Act (7 U.S.C. 591–599).

Currently, plums are not regulated

under the Export Grape and Plum Act.

The regulations issued under the Export

Grape and Plum Act (7 CFR Part 35)

cover fresh grapes grown in the United

States and shipped to foreign

destinations, except Canada and

Mexico. The regulations issued under

the Export Apple Act (7 CFR Part 33)

covers fresh apples grown in the United

States shipped to foreign destinations.

In accordance with amendments to that

Act, pears have been removed from

coverage and the current regulations

will be amended accordingly. The

Secretary of Agriculture is authorized to

oversee the implementation of the

export fruit acts and issue regulations

regarding these commodities. The

information collection requirements in

this request are essential to carry out the

intent and administration of the export

fruit acts. The Export Apple Act and the

Export Grape and Plum Act have been

in effect since 1933 and 1960

respectively.

Both Acts were designed to promote

the foreign trade of the United States in

apples, grapes and plums; to protect the

reputation of these American-grown

commodities; and to prevent deception

or misrepresentation of the quality of

such products moving in foreign

commerce.

The regulations issued under the Acts

(§ 33.11 for apples, and § 35.12 for

grapes) require that the U.S. Department

of Agriculture (USDA) officially inspect

and certify that each shipment of fresh

apples and grapes is in compliance with

all pertinent regulatory requirements

effective under the Acts. Persons who

ship fresh apples and grapes grown in

the United States to foreign destinations

must have such shipment inspected and

certified by Federal or Federal-State

Inspection Service (FSIS) inspectors.

The FSIS is administered by the

Agricultural Marketing Service.

The forms covered under this

information collection require the

minimum information necessary to

effectively carry out the export fruit

acts, and their use is necessary.

The information collection

requirements in this request is primarily

in the form of recordkeeping.

Information needed by USDA is

available on official FSIS inspection

certificates, and on phytosanitary

inspection certificates issued by USDA’s

Animal and Plant Health Inspection

Service.

Export carriers are required to keep on

file for three years copies of inspection

certificates for apples and grapes

transported by them. Export shippers

are required to label certain containers

of apples and grapes used for export

shipments.

The number of exporters has

remained fairly constant in recent years.

There are an estimated 115 exporters

who use the required forms and the

corresponding forms have remained

constant.

The information collection

requirements in this request are

periodically reviewed to ensure that

they place as small a burden on the

exporter as possible. Procedures have

been streamlined to assure efficiency in

administering the Acts.

Estimate of Burden: Public reporting

burden for this collection of information

is estimated to average 4.9528 hours per

response.

Respondents: Fruit export shippers

and export carriers.

Estimated Number of Respondents:

115.

Estimated Number of Responses per

Respondent: 3.96.

Estimated Total Annual Burden on

Respondents: 2,204.

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,

60166 Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 196 / Tuesday, October 10, 2000 / Notices

electronic, mechanical, or other

technological collection techniques or

other forms of information technology.

Comments may be sent to Docket

Clerk, Fruit and Vegetable Programs,

AMS, USDA, P.O. Box 96456, Room

2525–S, Washington, DC, 20090–6456;

Fax: (202) 720–5698; or E-mail:

moab.docketclerk@usda.gov. Comments

should reference the docket number and

the date and page number of this issue

of the Federal Register. All comments

received will be available for public

inspection during regular business

hours at the same address, or can be

viewed at: http://www.ams.usda.gov/fv/

moab.html. 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: October 3, 2000.

Robert C. Keeney,

Deputy Administrator, Fruit and Vegetable

Programs.

[FR Doc. 00–25947 Filed 10–6–00; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3410–02–U

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Agricultural Marketing Service

[Docket No. FV00–998–1NC]

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 (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

Marketing Agreement No. 146

Regulating the Quality of Domestically

Produced Peanuts 7 CFR part 998)

(Agreement).

DATES: Comments on this notice must be

received by December 11, 2000.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Contact Valerie L. Emmer-Scott,

Marketing Specialist, Marketing Order

Administration Branch, Fruit and

Vegetable Programs, AMS, USDA, room

2525–S., P.O. Box 96456, Washington,

DC 20090–6456; Tel: (202) 205–2829,

Fax: (202) 720–5698, or E-mail:

moab.docketclerk@usda.gov. All

comments should reference the docket

number and the date and page number

of this issue of the Federal Register.

Small businesses may request

information on this notice by contacting

Jay Guerber, Regulatory Fairness

Representative, Marketing Order

Administration Branch, Fruit and

Vegetable Programs, AMS, USDA, room

2525–S, P.O. Box 96456, Washington,

DC 20090–6456; telephone (202) 720–

2491, Fax: (202) 720–5698, or E-mail:

Jay.Guerber@usda.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Title: Marketing Agreement No. 146,

Regulating the Quality of Domestically

Produced Peanuts—7 CFR part 998.

OMB Number: 0581–0067.

Expiration Date of Approval: July 31,

2001.

Type of Request: Extension and

revision of a currently approved

information collection.

Abstract: Marketing agreement and

order programs provide an opportunity

for producers of fresh fruits, vegetables

and specialty crops, in a specified

production area, to work together to

solve marketing problems that cannot be

solved individually. Such regulations

help ensure adequate supplies of high

quality product and adequate returns to

producers. Under the Agricultural

Marketing Agreement Act of 1997

(AMAA), as amended (7 U.S.C. 601–

674), the Agreement was established for

handlers who voluntarily signed it.

Signers agreed to have peanuts

inspected, meet both incoming and

outgoing quality regulations, be

chemically tested and certified

‘‘negative’’ as to aflatoxin. The Secretary

of Agriculture is authorized to oversee

the Agreement’s operations and

consider issuing regulations

recommended by a committee of

producer and handler representatives

from each of the three peanut producing

areas within the 16-state production

area.

The information collection

requirements in this request are

essential to carry out the intent of the

AMAA, to provide the respondents the

type of service they request, and to

administer the Peanut Marketing

Agreement program, which has been

operating since 1965.

The Agreement authorizes the

issuance of quality regulations along

with inspection requirements. The

Agreement also provides authority for

limited indemnification. The

Agreement, and rules and regulations

issued thereunder, authorize the Peanut

Administrative Committee (Committee),

which is responsible for locally

administering the program, to require

handlers and growers to submit certain

information. Much of the information is

compiled in aggregate and provided to

the industry to assist in marketing

decisions.

The Committee has developed forms

as a means for persons to file required

information with the Committee relating

to peanut supplies, shipments,

dispositions, and other information

needed to effectively carry out the

purpose of the AMAA and Agreement.

USDA forms are used by peanut growers

and handlers, who are nominated by

their peers to serve as representatives on

the Committee, to submit their

qualifications to the Secretary. Other

USDA forms are used by handlers to

sign the Agreement.

These forms require the minimum

information necessary to effectively

carry out the requirements of the

Agreement, and their use is necessary to

fulfill the intent of the AMAA as

expressed in the Agreement.

The information collected is used

only by authorized representatives of

the USDA, including AMS, Fruit and

Vegetable Programs’ regional and

headquarter’s staff, and authorized

employees of the Committee.

Authorized Committee employees and

the industry, which may be provided

only aggregate (not confidential)

information, 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 .45 hours per

response.

Respondents: Peanut producers and

persons handling fresh and processed

peanuts produced in the 16-state

production area.

Estimated Number of Respondents:

25.

Estimated Number of Responses per

Respondent: 10.44.

Estimated Total Annual Burden on

Respondents: 118 hours.

Comments: Comments are invited on:

(1) Whether the proposed collection of

the 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.