Apr 12 -- The National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) invites comments to OMB by May 12, 2022 regarding three surveys: Cold Storage Survey, Custom Work Survey, and List Sampling Frame Survey.
The primary objective of the National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) is to collect, prepare, and issue State and national estimates of crop and livestock production, prices, and disposition; as well as economic statistics, environmental statistics related to agriculture and also to conduct the Census of Agriculture.
1) The monthly Cold Storage Survey provides information on national supplies of food commodities in refrigerated storage facilities. A biennial survey of refrigerated warehouse capacity is also conducted to provide a benchmark of the capacity available for refrigerated storage of the nation's food supply. Information on stocks of food commodities that are in refrigerated facilitates have a major impact on the price, marketing, processing, and distribution of agricultural products.
USDA agencies such as the World Agricultural Outlook Board, Economic Research Service, and Agricultural Marketing Service use this information from the Cold Storage report in setting and administering government commodity programs and in supply and demand analysis. Included in the report are stocks of pork bellies, frozen orange juice concentrate, butter, and cheese which are traded on the Chicago Board of Trade. The timing and frequency of the surveys have evolved to meet the needs of producers, facilities, agribusinesses, and government agencies.
Cold Storage Survey website:
https://www.nass.usda.gov/Surveys/Guide_to_NASS_Surveys/Cold_Storage/index.php
Cold Storage Survey submission to OMB:
https://www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAViewICR?ref_nbr=202203-0535-002 Click IC List for data collection instruments, View Supporting Statement for technical documentation. Submit comments through this site.
FRN:
https://www.federalregister.gov/d/2022-07781
2) The Custom Works program will survey farmers who potentially paid for custom services during a specified reference period to collect information on how much they paid for those services. These services include land tillage, application of fertilizers and chemicals, planting, harvesting, hauling, various livestock tasks, and many more tasks. The program will provide farm operators with estimates of the average prices paid for different custom services in their state and/or local area.
Data collected under this docket are for cooperative agreements between the National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) and numerous cooperators including, but not limited to: Alabama Department of Agriculture, Georgia Department of Agriculture, Kansas Department of Agriculture, Mississippi Delta Research and Extension Center, Nebraska Department of Agriculture, North Dakota State University, Oklahoma State University, Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture, South Carolina Department of Agriculture, and Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade, and Consumer Protection. The purpose of the survey is to collect custom rates from agricultural workers.
Custom Work Survey submission to OMB:
https://www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAViewICR?ref_nbr=202203-0535-006 Click IC List for data collection instruments, View Supporting Statement for technical documentation. Submit comments through this site.
FRN:
https://www.federalregister.gov/d/2022-07781
3) The List Sampling Frame Surveys are used to develop and maintain a complete list of possible farm and ranch operations. The goal is to produce for each State a relatively complete, current, and unduplicated list of names for statistical sampling for agricultural operation surveys and the Census of Agriculture. Data from these agricultural surveys are used by government agencies and educational institutions in planning, farm policy analysis, and program administration. More importantly, farmers and ranchers use NASS data to help make informed business decisions on what commodities to produce and when is the optimal time to market their products. NASS data is useful to farmers in comparing their farming practices with the economic and environmental data published by NASS.
The List Sampling Frame Surveys are used to develop and maintain a complete list of possible farm operations. Data from criteria surveys are used to provide control data for new records on the list sampling frame. This information is utilized to define the size of operation, define sample populations, and establish eligibility for the Census of Agriculture. New names and addresses of potential farms are obtained on a regular basis from growers association, other government agencies and various outside sources. The goal is to produce for each State a relatively complete, current, and unduplicated list of names for statistical sampling for agricultural operation surveys and the Census of Agriculture. This information is used to develop efficient sample designs, which allows NASS the ability to draw reduced sample sizes from the originally large universe populations.
List Sampling Frame Surveys submission to OMB:
https://www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAViewICR?ref_nbr=202203-0535-004 Click IC List for data collection instruments, View Supporting Statement for technical documentation. Submit comments through this site.
FRN:
https://www.federalregister.gov/d/2022-07781
For AEA members wishing to submit comments to OMB, the AEA Committee on Economic Statistics offers "A Primer on How to Respond to Calls for Comment on Federal Data Collections" at
https://www.aeaweb.org/content/file?id=5806