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USDA checks health of Ag industry
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CopyStarting in January the U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) began conducting the Agricultural Resources 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," NASS' Washington field office director David Knopf said in a press release. "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 field enumerators will be contacting the producers selected in the sample from February through April. In an effort to obtain the most accurate data, NASS will reach out to nearly 35,000 producers nationwide, including 1,552 in Washington. Producers will be asked to provide data on their operating expenditures, production costs and household characteristics.
"Farm organizations, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Washington State University, Congress and state officials use the collective information from ARMS to answer questions and make important decisions concerning the economic viability of American agriculture, the rural economy and other emerging issues," Knopf said.
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 by ARMS will be published in the annual "Farm Production Expenditures" report on Aug. 5, 2010. All NASS reports are available online at www.nass.usda.gov.
Copyright 2010 Cheney Free Press, Cheney, Washington. All Rights Reserved. This content, including derivations, may not be stored or distributed in any manner, disseminated, published, broadcast, rewritten or reproduced without express, written consent from SmallTownPapers, Inc.
© 2010 Cheney Free Press Cheney, Washington. All Rights Reserved. This content, including derivations, may not be stored or distributed in any manner, disseminated, published, broadcast, rewritten or reproduced without express, written consent from DAS.
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