USDA to measure financial well-being of farmers, ranchers

NASS will reach out to more than 30,000 producers  nationwide until April

 

U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS)  has begun gathering information about farm economics and production practices from farmers and  ranchers as the agency conducts the third and final phase of the 2021 Agricultural Resource  Management Survey (ARMS).

“ARMS is the only survey that measures the current financial well-being of producers and their  households as a whole,” said Anthony Prillaman, Director of the NASS Southern Regional Field  Office. “The results of this survey will help inform decisions on local and federal policies and  programs that affect farms as well as farm families.”

In an effort to obtain the most accurate data, NASS will reach out to more than 30,000 producers  nationwide between December and April, including nearly 4,100 producers in Alabama, Florida,  Georgia and South Carolina. The survey asks producers to provide in-depth information about their  operating revenues, production costs, and household characteristics. The survey also includes questions to help measure any impacts of COVID-19 on farms, farm and household finances and off farm employment.

To protect the health of producers, partners, and employees, NASS will provide support to producers  over the phone to complete this survey. “In late January, our interviewers will begin reaching out to  those farmers who have not yet mailed in their survey or haven’t completed the survey online,” said  Prillaman. “We appreciate each producer’s time to participate. USDA-NASS is here to help farmers  and ranchers with the questionnaire so that their information will continue supporting sound  agricultural decision-making.”

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 only publish data in an  aggregate form, 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 Friday, July 29, 2022. That report and others are available at  www.nass.usda.gov/Publications. More reports based on ARMS data and more information about  ARMS are available at www.ers.usda.gov/arms.

2021 ARMS 3 BACKGROUNDER

2021 ARMS 3 Farm Flyer