“ARMS is a vital survey that tracks how NC farms use technology to manage production of their major field crops,” said NASS NC State Statistician Dee Webb.  “The results of this survey also help policymakers and farm groups understand the factors driving the costs and returns of crop production.”

            This year, NASS is reaching out to survey cotton, corn, and rice producers across the country. NASS will conduct the survey starting in October and recommends that farmers have their fertilizer and pesticide spray records available to speed up the survey process. A USDA or NASS representative will call producers to set up an interview to assist in the completion of the questionnaire.

            The ARMS survey is conducted in three phases, from May 2021 through April 2022. The first phase screened participants to make sure they have the commodity of interest and would accurately represent the entire U.S. farm sector. In this current phase, NASS is collecting information on production practices. In the final phase, NASS will survey producers on cost of production, farm income, and production expenditures.

            NASS safeguards the privacy of all respondents. The information provided will be used for statistical purposes only. In accordance with federal law, survey responses will be kept confidential and will not be published in identifiable form.

            ARMS is a joint effort of NASS, USDA’s Economic Research Service, and the Office of Pest Management Policy. For more information about the Agricultural Resource Management Survey, visit nass.usda.gov/go/arms. For reports and analysis of ARMS data, visit: ers.usda.gov/arms.