Apr 27 -- The National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) invites comments by June 26, 2023 on the Agricultural Prices Surveys.
The primary objective of the National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) is to 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 to conduct the Census of Agriculture.
The Agricultural Prices surveys provide data on the prices received by farmers and prices paid by them for production goods and services. NASS estimates based on these surveys are used as a Principle Economic Indicator of the United States. These price estimates are also used to compute Parity Prices in accordance with requirements of the Agricultural Adjustment Act of 1938 as amended (Title III, Subtitle A, Section 301(a)). In addition, price data are used by the Federal Crop Insurance Corporation to help determine payment rates, program option levels, and disaster programs.
Changes from the currently approved information collection include:
(1) Addition of the Tobacco Price Inquiry. The Tobacco Price Inquiry is included in the Field Crops Information Collection Request (0535–0002).
(2) Removal of the biennial hay production and sales survey. The data collected on the biennial hay survey was used to weight (by quantity) the monthly hay (alfalfa and other hay) prices to calculate the Marketing Year Average (MYA) and United States hay prices This has been replaced with assuming the % of alfalfa and other hay marketings by month by state hasn't changed from recent surveys.
(3) Addition of collecting hay prices on the Cattle on Feed Survey. The Cattle on Feed questionnaire (OMB No. 0535–0213) has a total burden of 15 minutes on the questionnaire (6 minutes for cattle on feed questions, 9 minutes for hay prices). This survey is conducted monthly and hay price questions are included to prevent separate contacts for both cattle on feed and hay price surveys. Similar methodology is used to collect hay prices on the milk production survey already included in this request.
(4) Changes in the size of the target population, sampling design, number of mailings, and/or questionnaire length.
These combined changes will decrease number of respondents by around 27,025.
NASS Agricultural Prices:
https://usda.library.cornell.edu/concern/publications/c821gj76b?locale=en
Current survey forms:
https://www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAICList?ref_nbr=202008-0535-002
FRN:
https://www.federalregister.gov/d/2023-08847