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NASS survey data is valuable

Data collected is vital to administer farm and rancher programs.

July 20, 2016

2 Min Read

USDA NASS has seen declining response rates to its surveys in recent years. The value of accurate data is now more important than ever for decision-making on the farm, and by USDA farm program administrators, policy makers, researchers, market participants and, really, every aspect of agriculture.

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End-of-year crop production and stocks surveys, including the county agricultural production survey, which are critical for the Farm Service Agency and the Risk Management Agency to administer programs that benefit farmers and ranchers are underway.  These agencies need accurate data to serve producers with programs such as the Price Loss Coverage (PLC), Agriculture Risk Coverage (PLC), Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) and many crop insurance programs.

USDA NASS uses satellite imagery, online survey response tools and tablet-based data collection during personal interviews in the field, and many more systems. New technologies also make data analysis and publication more efficient and accurate. The mission of NASS is to produce accurate, timely and useful statistics in service to U.S. agriculture.

“We are proud of the work we do in service to U.S. agriculture and want each person involved in agriculture to know the value of the data we produce and how to use it to meet their needs and interests,” writes Hubert Hamer, NASS administer. “This especially holds true for farmers and ranchers who fill out surveys, but may not immediately see the connection to crop insurance price elections, FSA programs or even ways to use the information to inform land use decisions in their own communities. If you’d like to learn more about our data, please feel free to contact us at an office near you or look on our website.”

Source: USDA blog, National Agricultural Statistics Service

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