Agricultural News
USDA to Measure the Financial Health of American Farms
Fri, 15 Jan 2016 14:52:29 CST
The U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) will be contacting farmers and ranchers across the nation during the first quarter of the new calendar year to conduct the Agricultural Resource Management Survey (ARMS). This survey allows farmers and ranchers the opportunity to provide their information used in shaping the policies, programs and issues that affect their industry.
"ARMS petitions a small, but representative, sample of producers inquiring about their operation characteristics in order to compose a current financial state of U.S. agriculture," said Wilbert Hundl, director of the NASS Southern Plains Regional Field Office. "Government and agriculture leaders use this information to make decisions that impact the future of farmers, their families, their businesses, and their communities, making ARMS results crucial to Oklahoma agriculture."
NASS representatives will gather information through early spring. To obtain the most accurate data, NASS will reach out to nearly 40,000 producers nationwide, including slightly over 500 in Oklahoma. The survey asks producers to provide data on their operating expenditures, production costs and household characteristics.
"Farm organizations, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, other government agencies, members of Congress, and state and local officials use the information from ARMS to answer questions and make important decisions concerning the economic viability of American agriculture, the rural economy and other emerging issues," explained Hundl.
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. NASS will publish the economic data gathered in ARMS in the annual Farm Production Expenditures report on August 4, 2016. All NASS reports are available online at www.nass.usda.gov .
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