In accordance
with 5 CFR 1320.13, this information collection is approved for six
months as an emergency clearance for the Meat and Poultry
Processing Expansion Program. If the Agency decides to continue use
of this collection past the approved emergency clearance time
period, it must resubmit an information collection request to OMB
under the normal PRA clearance process.
Inventory as of this Action
Requested
Previously Approved
08/31/2022
6 Months From Approved
922
0
0
2,116
0
0
0
0
0
Section 1001(b)(4) of the American
Rescue Plan Act provided funding for “loans and grants and provide
other assistance to maintain and improve food and agricultural
supply chain resiliency.” Pursuant to this authority, USDA is
making funding available to promote competition and give more and
better options to producers by increasing meat and poultry
processing capacity.
The need to improve
resiliency is urgent, particularly due to the severe impacts of
COVID-19 or other disasters such as fires or cyberattacks on small
and mid-sized participants in the meat and poultry supply chain.
The impacts are felt all the way to the dinner tables of all
Americans in pricing and availability, and ultimately threatening
the national health and economy. An emergency clearance approval
for this information collection is formally requested due to the
need to effectively implement the program as quickly as possible to
decrease consumer prices for beef, pork, and poultry (a measure
commonly known as “food at home”). According to the Economic
Research Service, the price of food increased by 6.5% in December
2021 over the previous year with meat prices being the biggest
contributor to rising grocery costs. Since December 2020, prices
for beef have risen by 14.0%, pork by 12.1%, and poultry by 6.6%.
Food prices create hardship for America families that continue to
struggle financially as the result of the COVID-19 pandemic. This
program is part of the Biden-Harris Action Plan for a Fairer, More
Competitive, and More Resilient Meat and Poultry Supply Chain,
which commits to taking immediate action to provide more affordable
options to consumers.
On behalf of this Federal agency, I certify that
the collection of information encompassed by this request complies
with 5 CFR 1320.9 and the related provisions of 5 CFR
1320.8(b)(3).
The following is a summary of the topics, regarding
the proposed collection of information, that the certification
covers:
(i) Why the information is being collected;
(ii) Use of information;
(iii) Burden estimate;
(iv) Nature of response (voluntary, required for a
benefit, or mandatory);
(v) Nature and extent of confidentiality; and
(vi) Need to display currently valid OMB control
number;
If you are unable to certify compliance with any of
these provisions, identify the item by leaving the box unchecked
and explain the reason in the Supporting Statement.