USDA to Measure Financial Well-Being of California Farmers and Ranchers

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 California, 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 California producers and their households as a whole,” said Gary R. Keough, director of the NASS Pacific Regional Office. “The results of this survey will help inform decisions on local and federal policies and programs that affect California 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 over 2,300 in California, by April 23, 2022. The survey asks producers to provide in-depth information about their operating revenues, production costs, and household characteristics. The 2021 ARMS includes questions to help measure any impacts of COVID-19 on farms, farm and household finances, and off-farm employment.

“In February, our interviewers will begin reaching out to those farmers who have not yet responded,” said Keough “We appreciate their time and are here to help them 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 July 29, 2022. That report and others are available at nass.usda.gov/Publications. More reports based on ARMS data and more information about ARMS are available at ers.usda.gov/arms.

Source: California Ag Net

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