DTN Washington Insider reports:
A record-low 66.5{e1c719bd29d6bb84a792d8ffcb03a61a093900316f2da3efbd39b86f03d248b8} of farmers responded to surveys sent out by the National Ag Statistics Service (NASS) in their data gathering for the September Small Grains Summary, according to USDA Chief Economist Robert Johansson.
In remarks to USDA Radio, Johansson confirmed 66.5{e1c719bd29d6bb84a792d8ffcb03a61a093900316f2da3efbd39b86f03d248b8} was a “record low” and the response rate had been over 79{e1c719bd29d6bb84a792d8ffcb03a61a093900316f2da3efbd39b86f03d248b8} years ago. Not only is the data derived from the surveys important to estimate crop size, but Johansson said it also has an economic impact.
“With the new farm bill programs, ARC (Agriculture Risk Coverage) and PLC (Price Loss Coverage) in particular, we need to have good data on what acreage and yields are for farms out there in order to provide a good estimate to FSA (Farm Service Agency) so they can determine what their ARC/PLC payments are going to look like,” Johansson explained. He noted USDA will try to figure out ways to get a better response rate from farmers in the future.
According to the Small Grains Summary, NASS said it conducted their objective yield survey in 10 states that accounted for over 73{e1c719bd29d6bb84a792d8ffcb03a61a093900316f2da3efbd39b86f03d248b8} of the 2016 winter wheat production. The objective yield data is derived from NASS enumerators visiting the same plot each month until crop maturity. “After the farm operator harvested the sample field, enumerators revisited the sample to collect data in order to measure harvesting loss,” NASS noted.
Information from operators was gathered via mail, Internet, telephone and personal interviews, NASS said, the portion of the data gathering where the response rate has fallen. “Approximately 66,400 producers were interviewed during the first two weeks of September and asked questions pertaining to planted and harvested area as well as yield and production,” according to the report description of “survey procedures.” In the 2015 Small Grains Summary, NASS noted approximately 66,000 producers were interviewed.
The September Ag Survey conducted by NASS included barley, oats, rye and wheat, according to the lock-up briefing NASS prepared, with a sample size of 66,384, and was conducted in all states except Hawaii.
Photo courtesy of USDA NRCS
