Rice Producers Endorsement

August 7, 2006
Dear Fellow Farmer:
You have been selected for an extremely important role: as one of the 2006 participants in the
Agricultural Resource Management Survey (ARMS) Phase II conducted by the U.S. Department
of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) in collaboration with the
Economic Research Service (ERS).
This year, ARMS will focus on the production practices used to grow rice, wheat, soybeans, and
organic soybeans. This is the first time rice has been included in the survey since 2000. Your
participation is crucial to ensure that rice producers are properly represented in the national
sample. Every producer surveyed represents more than 100 other producers. Every response
counts! A NASS representative will interview you about your crop production practices, cost of
production, chemical applications, and pest management practices.
Your participation in this survey will help show how producers use fertilizers and pesticides
responsibly and apply beneficial land stewardship practices as you produce an abundant and safe
food supply for America and world.
Everyone in the agricultural industry – whether producers, buyers, suppliers or others – relies on
this information to make sound business decisions. As we all know, conditions can change almost
overnight due to weather, pests, disease and other factors. But your cooperation ensures that NASS
is able to provide a timely, accurate, unbiased report on the current state of agricultural production
according to the frontline source – YOU, the grower.
Rest assured that your survey responses will be kept completely confidential, as required by
federal law. NASS safeguards the privacy of all respondents and publishes only state- and
national-level data from this survey, ensuring that no individual operation or grower can be
identified.
On behalf of your fellow rice producers throughout the United States, I thank you in advance for
your service to agriculture through participation in this important program.
Sincerely,

Dwight Roberts, President
U.S. Rice Producers