Using Previously Reported Cropland Acreage in Data Collection

The National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) conducts surveys on the United States’ and Puerto Rico’s agriculture for the purpose of estimating crops, livestock, production practices, and farm economics. NASS’ Research and Development Division examined the agency’s June and September Agricultural Surveys to determine whether identical questions asked on both surveys could be eliminated on the September survey for June respondents, thereby reducing respondent burden. The questionnaires for these two surveys for five states (Delaware, Iowa, Nebraska, Texas, and Washington) were reviewed and identical questions (cropland, land owned, land rented to, land rented from, and storage capacity) were identified. This report specifically focuses on cropland. A second report focusing on additional items is scheduled for late 2009. Initially, between-quarter differences in cropland for the same operation were measured. If the indicated variation in the answers was not statistically significant, it was concluded that the questions could be omitted in September for those operators responding in June. This initial test showed that four of the five test states could have the June cropland data carried forward to the September Agricultural Survey. The analyses were then expanded to include all states participating in the June and September Agricultural Surveys. The results indicated that if the quality of the cropland data collected in June is improved then using the June reported data in September is feasible in the following twenty-two states: Arkansas, Delaware, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Louisiana, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Utah, Virginia, Washington, and Wisconsin.