Nursery Production Survey and Nursery and Floriculture Chemical Use Survey

Contact: [FIRSTNAME] [LASTNAME]

(XXX) XXX-XXXX

USDA COLLECTS DATA ON NURSERY AND FLORICULTURE CHEMICAL USE

[CITY, STATE], [MONTH XX,] 2007 – Growers will have the opportunity to establish the facts about their use of agricultural chemicals and integrated pest management practices during the upcoming Nursery and Floriculture Chemical Use Survey, conducted by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service.

“The Nursery and Floriculture Chemical Use Survey provides [STATE] growers the opportunity to serve as the frontline source of data on production, chemical usage and pest management practices,” said [FIRST NAME LAST NAME], director of the NASS [YOUR STATE] Field Office. “The information supplied by operators will provide accurate, real-world data to help government agencies and others make sound business decisions about the future availability of crop protection products.”

Between [DATES OR MONTHS OF DATA COLLECTION], the NASS [STATE] Field Office will contact a sample of growers to arrange in-person interviews to gather information on their current chemical use and pest management practices.

Participation in this survey is crucial. By providing timely and accurate information on chemical usage, growers can help to ensure their continued access to the chemicals they need. The data will provide the statistics needed to conduct risk analysis on the environmental impact and worker exposure to chemicals, as well as assist industry organizations and federal agencies in analyzing the economic impacts of chemical use and improving product labeling.

Survey responses will be compiled in NASS’s Nursery and Floriculture Chemical Use Summary to be released in December 2007.

As with all NASS surveys, information provided by respondents is confidential by law. NASS safeguards the confidentiality of all responses and publishes only state- and national-level data, ensuring that no individual producer or operation can be identified. All NASS reports are available online at: www.nass.usda.gov.

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