The Grocery Store and the Gas Pump: Data that Hit Home USDA-NASS DATA

Dania Ferguson, Head, Environmental and Economic Surveys Section APDU Annual Conference Federal Data in a Time of Change September 2008

NASS Reports

• Over 500 National reports published annually • Over 9,000 State level reports annually • Census reports for each State, Nation, and outlying areas

What Does NASS Do?

• Administer USDA’s Statistical Estimating Program • Conduct the 5-year Census of Agriculture • Coordinate Federal/State agricultural statistical needs • Provide statistical consulting for Federal/State governments, universities, and other countries • Collect and summarize agricultural data under reimbursable agreements • Conduct statistical research

What Doesn’t NASS Do?

• Set policy • Regulate activities • Permit influence • Disclose individual reports • Favor any group above others • Estimate production for illegal crops • Economic analysis • Award grants • Proprietary surveys (data summaries always made public)

NASS Programs

• Commodity Statistics • Economic Statistics • Demographic Statistics • Environmental Statistics

National Agricultural Statistics Service Annual statistics program and Census of Agriculture

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Production data on more than 120 crops and 40 livestock commodities Price, sale, expense data for $200 billion in agricultural products Environmental data related to 938 million acres Demographics on 3 million farm operators and 6.6 million household members

Farm Definition Any place from which $1,000 or more of agricultural products were produced and sold, or normally would have been sold, during the census year.

Data Sources For Official Statistics

• Sample Surveys • Census of Agriculture • Administrative Data • Imports/Exports • Slaughter • Crush • Millings • Inspections

Data Collection

• Producers • Objective measurement • Remote Sensing

Commodity Statistics Program

Production of Agricultural Commodities Acres Yield Production Livestock, Dairy & Poultry Intended Planted - Intended for Harvest Harvested Forecasted Yield, Final Yield Forecasted Production Final Production Inventory, Breeding Classes, Market Classes, Births

Commodity Statistics Program

Supplies of Agricultural Commodities • Grain, potatoes, onions, peanuts in storage • Livestock and poultry slaughter • Dairy products • Egg production and products • Meat/frozen food/dairy products in cold storage • Cotton ginning

Economic Statistics Program

• Irrigation - area, by crop • Production expenditures - feeder livestock, feed, seed, fertilizers, chemicals, machinery, labor, etc.

• Number farm workers

Economic Statistics Program

• Prices received - monthly and seasonal average • Prices paid • Prices received and paid indexes • Land values, cash rents • Grazing fees • Wage rates

Environmental Statistics Program

• Fertilizer Use • Chemical Use – Field Crops – Fruit & Vegetables – Post Harvest – Livestock • Production/Processing Practices • Pest Management Practices

Demographic Statistics Program

Number of Farms Size of Farms Farm Operators Land Use By Kind of Farm, Sales, Income, Type of Operational Structure Number of Acres, Livestock, by Size Age, Race, Ethnicity, Sex Farm Income By Size and Type Production Practices Cropping Practices, Pest Management Animal Husbandry Cropland, Pastureland, Woodland, etc.

Periodic Programs

• Agriculture Census – every 5 years • Farm and Ranch Irrigation Survey • Census of Horticultural Specialties • Aquaculture Census • Agricultural Economics and Land Ownership Survey

High Profile Uses of NASS Data

• U.S. principle economic indicators • Farm Bill counter-cyclical payments • Disaster payment determination • Group Risk policy payments and premiums • Livestock compensation program • EPA risk analysis in re-registration of chemicals • Levels the playing field for commodity markets

Hurricane Impact Assessment

Importance - Economics

Fewer farmers - each farmer very important  less than 2% of farmers produce 50% of sales  less than 7% of farmers produce 75% of sales

How Many People Does a Farmer Feed?

160 140 120 100 80 60 40 20 0 1940 1960 1980 Today

Sources: American Farm Bureau Federation, National Agricultural Statistics Service

Importance - Economics

Data used in the Economic Indicators  Gross Domestic Product (GDP)  Producer Price Index (PPI)

Prices Received by Agricultural Producers

January 2008 Producer Prices Wheat Soybeans Corn Milk Beef Cattle $7.93 per bushel $9.96 per bushel $3.97 per bushel $20.50 per cwt $87.30 per cwt

Agricultural Resource Management Survey (ARMS) integrates Chemical Use and Economic data with Household data

ARMS data address concerns common to all agriculture stakeholders

Goal

: Farm profitability and environmental stewardship • • • •

Safety net

– financial safety net and tools to manage risk

Stewardship

– rewards for protecting environment

New markets

– opportunities to encourage innovation and improved nutrition, food security, and energy independence.

Research -

land use technical assistance & strategic

How is ARMS used?

ARMS is used to perform the following functions:

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Gather information about the relationships among agricultural production, resources, and the environment;

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Determine the costs to produce various crop and livestock commodities, and the relative importance of various production expense items;

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Help determine farmers’/ranchers’ net farm income and provide data on the financial situation of farm/ranch businesses, including debt levels;

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Help determine the characteristics and financial situations of farm/ranch operators and their households, including information on management strategies and off-farm income

Chemical Use Surveys

ARMS - Phase II collects field crop chemical use data Nursery & Floriculture Chemical Use (Triennial) Livestock Chemical Use

Suspended due to budget:

- Fruit Chemical Use and Vegetable Chemical Use - Postharvest Chemical Use

Chemical Usage Data Goals Crop-specific Fertilizer and Pesticide Usage Statistics Area Applied Number of Applications Rate/Application Rate/Crop Year Total Amount Applied

NASS Website – www.usda.gov

NASS Web Site – Quick Stats

http://www.nass.usda.gov/ • U.S., State, county database • Historic data for most commodities - Planted, harvested, yield, production, price, and value • Data format options

NASS -

Fact Finders for Agriculture

Dania Ferguson [email protected]

www.nass.usda.gov