SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Title: Pecans Grown in the States of Alabama et al., Marketing Order No. 986.

OMB Number: 0581-0291.

Expiration Date of Approval: December 31, 2026.

Type of Request: Extension and revision of a currently approved information collection.

Abstract: The information collection requirements in this request are essential to carry out the intent of the Agricultural Marketing Agreement Act of 1937, as amended (7 U.S.C. 601-674) (the Act), to provide respondents the type of service they request and to administer Marketing Order No. 986 (7 CFR part 986, the Order), which regulates the handling of pecans grown in the states of Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, Kansas, Louisiana, Missouri, Mississippi, North Carolina, New Mexico, Oklahoma, South Carolina, and Texas.

The Order and its rules and regulations authorize the American Pecan Council (Council), the organization responsible for local administration of the marketing order, to require handlers and other certain entities to submit information.

The purpose of this notice is to solicit public comments on the 14 forms included in this OMB package. These forms include a grower referendum ballot (SC-313), two ballots for Council nominations (SC-307 and SC-308), two nomination forms for growers and shellers (SC-309 and SC-310), and two background and acceptance statements forms for growers, shellers, and public members (SC-8 and SC-9). Two marketing agreement forms (SC-242 and SC-242A) are also included. In addition, this package includes five reporting forms the Council uses to track shipments and inventory: APC-1, “Summary Report/U.S. Pecans Received For Your Account;” APC-2, “Pecans Purchased Outside of the United States;” APC-3 “Exports by Country of Destination;” APC-4 “Annual Agreement of Inter-Handler Transfer;” and APC-5, “Year-End Inventory Report.”

The information collected is used only by authorized representatives of USDA, including the AMS Specialty Crops Program's regional and headquarters' staff, and authorized employees and agents of the Council. Authorized Council employees, agents, and the industry 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 0.31 hours (rounded) per response.

Respondents: Pecan producers, handlers, shellers and public members.

Estimated Number of Respondents: 4,503.

Estimated Total Annual of Responses: 4,538.

Estimated Number of Responses per Respondent: 1.01 (rounded).

Estimated Number of Recordkeeping hours: 0 hours.

Estimated Total Annual Burden on Respondents: 1,404.94 hours (rounded).

Comments are invited on: (1) Whether this collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the agency, including whether the information has practical utility; (2) the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden of the collection of information, including the validity of the methodology and assumptions used; (3) ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information collected; and (4) ways to minimize the burden of the collection of information on those who respond, including through 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 ( printed page 35653) for OMB approval. All comments will also become a matter of public record.