09/06/06 Wheat producers focus of ARMS survey

Washington Ag September 6, 2006 How are local farmers being affected by escalating fuel and fertilizer costs? What new production practices are they using to assure a healthy environment and an abundant crop? These and other important questions will be answered when the USDA conducts Phase II of its 2006 Agricultural Resource Management Survey, or ARMS. Chris Messer who heads up the Washington Bureau of the Agricultural Statistics Service says the survey this year is looking at winter and spring wheat and will be conducted from September to December through personal interviews with Washington farm operators. Messer: "It is very important for good cooperation from our 225 selected respondents. A lot of the farm program and policies that are developed depend heavily on the ARMS data, particularly the price support program, risk management program and research program." Messer assures ARMS participants that confidentiality of their responses is protected by law and only state and national level data are published ensuring that no individual producer or operation can be identified. For more information about ARMS and other surveys conducted by NASS, contact the Washington Field Office at (800) 435-5883 or visit the NASS web site at: www.nass.usda.gov. I'm Bob Hoff.