Overview
Title
Notice of Intent To Request Revision and Extension of a Currently Approved Information Collection
Agencies
ELI5 AI
The National Agricultural Statistics Service wants to update a survey about vegetables to make sure it has the right information for planning. People can tell them what they think about this plan until February 2025.
Summary AI
The National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) plans to revise and extend the Vegetable Surveys Program in line with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995. This update may alter the burden hours due to changes in population size or survey design. The information collected helps the USDA and others make informed production and marketing decisions for vegetables. The public is invited to comment on the necessity and practicality of these data collections by February 24, 2025.
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 Vegetable Surveys Program. A revision to burden hours will be needed due to changes in the size of the target population, sampling design, and/or questionnaire length.
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Sources
AnalysisAI
The Federal Register document from the National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) pertains to their intent to revise and extend the Vegetable Surveys Program. This initiative is a part of the obligations under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995. The primary goal of these surveys is to gather agricultural data—specifically concerning fresh market and processing vegetables—to aid in decision-making for production and marketing within the sector.
General Summary
The notice outlines the intent of NASS to continue collecting data while revising certain elements to accurately reflect changes in their target population, survey methodology, or the questionnaire itself. This routine update is necessary for maintaining the relevance and accuracy of the collected data, especially following the recent completion of the Census of Agriculture. Public feedback is actively sought to ensure the data collection methods remain effective and minimally burdensome.
Significant Issues or Concerns
Several potential issues arise from the document that might interest stakeholders. Firstly, the lack of specific details about the changes in the target population or survey design may cause some confusion or concern among stakeholders who rely on this data. The document states that the burden of response time ranges between five and twenty minutes, a fairly broad estimation that could benefit from further clarification. Moreover, while it invites public comments, the document does not specify how these comments will affect the final decision, leaving the process somewhat unclear and possibly discouraging public engagement.
Impact on the Public
For the general public, particularly those involved in agriculture or related industries, the careful gathering of vegetable production data is crucial. The surveys assist farmers, growers, marketers, and policy-makers in predicting markets, setting production goals, and making informed decisions that could affect food supply and pricing. Thus, refining and extending this information gathering ensures that decisions are based on thorough and comprehensive data.
Impact on Specific Stakeholders
The program primarily addresses stakeholders within the agricultural sector. This includes farms, businesses, and governmental bodies that benefit from national and state-level agricultural statistics. While NASS’s efforts to streamline and modernize data collection could yield more accurate insights, the increased burden on some respondents could temporarily impact the resources available to them, given the adjustment in reporting timescale and method. However, over the long term, enhanced data collection should prove beneficial, helping these stakeholders adapt more efficiently to market needs.
Overall, while the notice strives to ensure that the NASS’s data collection remains current and relevant, addressing the concerns and providing more transparency in the feedback process could enhance understanding and cooperation from stakeholders.
Issues
• The document does not specify changes to the size of the target population, sampling design, or questionnaire length that necessitate the revision of burden hours, which might be unclear for stakeholders.
• The estimated burden range of 5 to 20 minutes per respondent is quite broad, and further clarification might be beneficial to understand the variability.
• There is no explicit explanation or example of how information will be enhanced in terms of quality, utility, and clarity, which might be considered vague.
• The document invites comments on the collection of information but does not specify how or whether these comments will influence the final decision, making the process somewhat opaque.