February 2013
Supporting Statement
Importation of Mangoes from India
OMB No. 0579-0312
A. Justification
1. Explain the circumstances that make the collection of information necessary. Identify any legal or administrative requirements that necessitate the collection.
The United States Department of Agriculture is responsible for preventing plant pests and noxious weeds from entering the United States, preventing the spread of plant diseases not widely distributed in the United States, and eradicating those imported pests when eradication is feasible.
Under the Plant Protection Act (7 U.S.C. 7701 - et seq), the Secretary of Agriculture is authorized to carry out operations or measures to detect, eradicate, suppress, control, prevent, or retard the spread of plant pests new to the United States or not known to be widely distributed throughout the United States.
The regulations in “Subpart-Fruits and Vegetables” (7 CFR 319.56 through 319.56-56, referred to as the regulations) prohibit or restrict the importation of fruits and vegetables into the
United States from certain parts of the world to prevent the introduction and dissemination of plant pests that are new to or not widely distributed within the United States.
APHIS amended the fruits and vegetables regulations to allow the importation into the continental United States of mangoes from India under certain conditions. As a condition of entry, the mangoes have to undergo irradiation treatment and be accompanied by a phytosanitary certificate with additional declaration providing specific information regarding the treatment and inspection of the mangoes and the orchards in which they are grown. In addition, the mangoes are subject to inspection at the port of first arrival. This action allows for the importation of mangoes from India into the continental United States while continuing to provide protection against the introduction of quarantine pests.
APHIS is asking Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to approve, for an additional 3 years, its use of these information collection activities, associated with its efforts to prevent the spread of plant pests and plant diseases into the United States.
2. Indicate how, by whom, and for what purpose the information is used. Except for a new collection, indicate the actual use the agency has made of the information received from the current collection.
APHIS uses the following information activities to allow the import of mangoes from India into the continental United States:
Phytosanitary Certificate (foreign govt): APHIS requires that plants or plant products be accompanied by a phytosanitary inspection certificate that is completed by plant health officials in the originating or transiting country. APHIS uses the information on the certificate to determine the pest condition of the shipment at the time of inspection in the foreign country. This information is used as a guide to the intensity of the inspection APHIS conducts when the shipment arrives. Without this information, all shipments would need to be inspected very thoroughly, thereby requiring considerably more time. This would slow the clearance of international shipments.
Each shipment of fruit has to be accompanied by a phytosanitary certificate issued by the National Plant Protection Organization (NPPO) of India certifying that the fruit received the required irradiation treatment. In addition, this irradiation treatment would have to be administered outside of the United States in an APHIS-certified facility and would have to be monitored by APHIS inspectors.
Monitoring Inspections by NPPOs (foreign govt): Each shipment of fruit is jointly inspected by APHIS and NPPO of India, and accompanied by a phytosanitary certificate issued by the NPPO of India certifying that the fruit received the required irradiation treatment and includes two additional declarations.
Trust Fund Agreement for Preclearance (foreign govt): The NPPO of India enters into a trust fund agreement with APHIS to provide for all expenses incurred by APHIS while performing preclearance activities, including salaries, administrative expenses, travel, and other incidental expenses. Costs, if any, not covered by the trust fund would be minimal.
Workplan for Preclearance (foreign govt): In accordance with §305.31, APHIS and the NPPO of India jointly develop a preclearance workplan that details the activities that the NPPO will carry out in connection with each irradiation facility to verify the facility’s compliance with
7 CFR, Part 305. The facility’s preclearance workplan has to be reviewed and renewed by APHIS and the NPPO of India on an annual basis.
Compliance Agreement (business): A compliance agreement is required between USDA and the irradiation facility in India stating that India is in compliance with 7 CFR, Part 305.
Recordkeeping (business): Recordkeeping of visits to the facility by Indian inspectors are required and maintained for 3 years.
3. Describe whether, and to what extent, the collection of information involves the use of automated, electronic, mechanical, or other forms of information technology, e.g., permitting electronic submission of responses, and the basis for the decision for adopting this means of collection. Also, describe any consideration of using information technology to reduce burden.
APHIS has no control or influence over when foreign countries will automate their phytosanitary certificates.
4. Describe efforts to identify duplication. Show specifically why any similar information already available cannot be used or modified for use for the purpose described in item 2 above.
The information APHIS collects is exclusive to its mission of preventing the entry of injurious plant pests, diseases, and noxious weeds and is not available from any other source.
5. If the collection of information impacts small businesses or other small entities, describe any methods used to minimize burden.
The information APHIS collects in connection with this program is the minimum needed to protect the United States from plant pests and diseases from entering into the United States. APHIS has determined that 100 percent of the respondents are small entities.
6. Describe the consequences to Federal program or policy activities if the collection is not conducted or is conducted less frequently, as well as any technical or legal obstacles to reducing burden.
Failing to collect this information would cripple APHIS’ ability to ensure that mangoes from India are not carrying plant pests. If plant pests (such as Sternochetus frigidus (F.) and Sternochetus mangiferae (F.)) were introduced into the United States, growers would suffer hundreds of millions of dollars in losses.
7. Explain any special circumstances that require the collection to be conducted in a manner inconsistent with the general information collection guidelines in 5 CFR 1320.5.
requiring respondents to report information to the agency more often than quarterly;
requiring respondents to prepare a written response to a collection of information in fewer than 30 days after receipt of it;
requiring respondents to submit more than an original and two copies of any document;
requiring respondents to retain records, other than health, medical, government contract, grant-in-aid, or tax records for more than three years;
in connection with a statistical survey, that is not designed to produce valid and reliable results that can be generalized to the universe of study;
requiring the use of a statistical data classification that has not been reviewed and approved by OMB;
that includes a pledge of confidentiality that is not supported by authority established in statute or regulation, that is not supported by disclosure and data security policies that are consistent with the pledge, or which unnecessarily impedes sharing of data with other agencies for compatible confidential use; or
requiring respondents to submit proprietary trade secret, or other confidential information unless the agency can demonstrate that it has instituted procedures to protect the information's confidentiality to the extent permitted by law.
No special circumstances exist that would require this collection to be conducted in a manner inconsistent with the general information collection guidelines in 5 CFR 1320.5.
8. Describe efforts to consult with persons outside the agency to obtain their views on the availability of data, frequency of collection, the clarity of instructions and recordkeeping, disclosure, or reporting form, and on the data elements to be recorded, disclosed, or reported. If applicable, provide a copy and identify the date and page number of publication in the Federal Register of the agency's notice, soliciting comments on the information collection prior to submission to OMB.
In 2012, APHIS held productive consultations with the following individuals concerning the information collection activities associated with the import of mangoes from India:
Shri Rajendra Kr.Tiwari
Joint secretary
Dept. of Agriculture and Cooperation
Ministry of Agriculture, Government of India
011-23381045
email: [email protected]
Kedar Dutt Joshi
Division of Plant Quarantine
National Bureau of Plant Genetic Resources
(Indian Council of Agriculture Research)
Pusa Campus, New Delhi-100 012
25841457 (O)
Email: [email protected]
Dr. V.K. Yadav
Plant Protection Adviser to the Govt. of India,
Directorate of Plant Protection, Quarantine and Storage
NH-IV, Faridabad – 121 001 (Haryana)
Email: [email protected]
On Tuesday, December 4, 2012, page 71775, APHIS published in the Federal Register, a 60-day notice seeking public comments on its plans to request a 3 year extension of this collection of information. One comment from the public was received from the National Plant Board in support of this Information Collection, and will be loaded in ROCIS.
9. Explain any decisions to provide any payment or gift to respondents, other than renumeration of contractors or grantees.
This information collection activity involves no payments (other than appropriate, program-related payments) or gifts to respondents.
10. Describe any assurance of confidentiality provided to respondents and the basis for the assurance in statute, regulation, or agency policy.
No additional assurance of confidentiality is provided with this information collection. Any and all information obtained in this collection shall not be disclosed except in accordance with 5 U.S.C. 552a.
11. Provide additional justification for any questions of a sensitive nature, such as sexual behavior and attitudes, religious beliefs, and others that are considered private. This justification should include the reasons why the agency considers the questions necessary, the specific uses to be made of the information, the explanation to be given to persons from whom the information is requested, and any steps to be taken to obtain their consent.
This information collection activity asks no questions of a personal or sensitive nature.
12. Provide estimates of the hour burden of the collection of information. Indicate the number of respondents, frequency of response, annual hour burden, and an explanation of how the burden was estimated.
• Indicate the number of respondents, frequency of response, annual hour burden, and an explanation of how the burden was estimated. If this request for approval covers more than one form, provide separate hour burden estimates for each form and aggregate the hour burdens in Item 13 of OMB Form 83-I.
See APHIS Form 71 for hour burden estimates.
• Provide estimates of the annualized cost to respondents for the hour burdens for collections of information, identifying and using appropriate wage rate categories.
The estimated annualized cost to the respondents totaled $32,220.00.
2,685 burden hours X $12.00 estimated wage rate = $32,220. annualized cost
The estimated wage rate was developed by using historical data through discussions with importers of mangoes from India and APHIS’ International Services.
13. Provide estimates of the total annual cost burden to respondents or recordkeepers resulting from the collection of information, (do not include the cost of any hour burden shown in items 12 and 14). The cost estimates should be split into two components: (a) a total capital and start-up cost component annualized over its expected useful life; and (b) a total operation and maintenance and purchase of services component.
There is zero annual cost burden associated with capital and start-up costs, maintenance costs, and purchase of services in connection with this program.
14. Provide estimates of annualized cost to the Federal government. Provide a description of the method used to estimate cost and any other expense that would not have been incurred without this collection of information.
The estimated cost for the Federal Government is $136,468.00. (See APHIS Form 79).
15. Explain the reasons for any program changes or adjustments reported in Items 13 or 14 of the OMB Form 83-1.
There is no change in burden.
16. For collections of information whose results are planned to be published, outline plans for tabulation and publication.
APHIS has no plans to tabulate or publish the information APHIS collects.
17. If seeking approval to not display the expiration date for OMB approval of the information collection, explain the reasons that display would be inappropriate.
There are no USDA forms associated with this collection of information.
18. Explain each exception to the certification statement identified in the "Certification for Paperwork Reduction Act."
APHIS is able to certify compliance with all the provisions in the Act.
B. Collections of Information Employing Statistical Methods
Statistical methods are not used in this information collection.
| File Type | application/msword |
| File Title | Supporting Statement for Information Collection Request |
| Author | Government User |
| Last Modified By | Stratchko, Karen A - APHIS |
| File Modified | 2013-02-28 |
| File Created | 2012-07-25 |