Agricultural News
USDA to Measure Financial Health of Ag Industry
Fri, 18 Jan 2013 11:30:49 CST
Beginning in December, the U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) and the Economic Research Service (ERS) are jointly conducting the Agricultural Resource Management Survey (ARMS). This survey will provide farmers and ranchers with an opportunity to provide accurate, real-world data that will help shape the policies, programs and issues that affect them.
"ARMS asks a small, but representative, sample of farmers about their operation in order to understand the current financial state of U.S. agriculture," said Wilbert Hundl, Jr., Director of the NASS Oklahoma Field Office. "Participation in ARMS is so important because government and agricultural leaders use the information needed to make sound decisions that impact the future of farmers, their families, their businesses and their communities."
The survey will be conducted beginning late December through March. In an effort to obtain the most accurate data, NASS will reach out to nearly 33,000 producers nationwide, including over 300 in Oklahoma. Producers will be asked to provide data on their operating expenditures, production costs and household characteristics.
"As you may know, NASS is currently also conducting the mandatory Census of Agriculture, which occurs every five years," explained Hundl "To make it easier on these farmers, responding to ARMS fulfills the growers' 2012 Census of Agriculture obligations."
As with all NASS surveys, information provided by respondents is confidential by law. NASS safeguards the confidentiality of all responses, ensuring no individual respondent or operation can be identified.
The economic data gathered in ARMS will be published in the annual Farm Production Expenditures report on August 2, 2013. All NASS reports are available online at www.nass.usda.gov.
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