COLUMBIA, Mo. — The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) will gather information about production practices from soybean producers across Missouri, as part of the 2020 Agricultural Resource Management Survey (ARMS).
“ARMS is a vital survey that tracks how Missouri farms use technology to manage production of their major field crops,” said NASS Missouri State Statistician Bob Garino. “The results of this survey help policymakers and farm groups understand the factors driving the costs and returns of crop production.”
This year, NASS is reaching out to over 4,000 soybean producers across the country, including 250 in Missouri. NASS will conduct the survey starting in October and recommends that soybean farmers have their fertilizer and pesticide spray records available to speed up the survey process. To protect the health and safety of producers, partners, and employees, NASS has suspended in-person data collection until further notice. Interviewers will be calling producers to complete the survey.
Starting in October, NASS field staff will begin contacting farmers to schedule telephone interviews at their convenience. Interviews will focus on nutrient and fertilizer use, tillage and pest management practices for soybeans in 2020. Data collection will continue through October and November.
The information provided by farmers is protected by federal law (Title V, Subtitle A, Public Law 107-347), which keeps the respondent’s identity, operation, and answers confidential.
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. Survey results and all NASS reports are available online at nass.usda.gov/Publications. For more information, call the NASS Heartland Regional Field Office at 800-551-1014.
— USDA NASS Heartland Region Missouri Field Office
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