Pennsylvania Ag Connection - USDA to Gauge Financial Well-Being of Northeastern Farmers

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USDA to Gauge Financial Well-Being of Northeastern Farmers
Pennsylvania Ag Connection - 12/18/2018

Beginning in late December, the U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) will spend several months gathering information about farm economics and production practices from farmers and ranchers across the Northeastern Region of the U.S., as the agency conducts the third and final phase of the 2018 Agricultural Resource Management Survey (ARMS).

"ARMS is the only survey that measures the current financial well-being of Northeastern producers and their households as a whole," said King Whetstone, director of the NASS Northeastern Regional Field Office. "The results of this survey will help inform decisions on local and federal policies and programs that affect Northeastern farms and farm families."

In an effort to obtain the most accurate data, NASS will reach out to more than 30,000 producers nationwide, including 1,100 in the Northeastern Region, between Dec. 27 and May 1.

The survey asks producers to provide in-depth information about their operating revenues, production costs, and household characteristics.

"We realize that this survey is lengthy and some producers may have questions," explained Whetstone. "In early February, our interviewers will begin reaching out to those farmers who have not yet responded, to answer any questions they may have and help them fill out their questionnaires."

In addition to producing accurate information, NASS has strong safeguards in place to protect the confidentiality of all farmers who respond to its surveys. The agency will publish data in an aggregate form only, ensuring the confidentiality of all responses, and that no individual respondent or operation can be identified.

The expense data gathered in ARMS will be published in the annual Farm Production Expenditures report on August 2, 2019. More reports based on ARMS data and more information about ARMS is available at www.ers.usda.gov/arms.

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