Non-substantive Change Request

2010 - Non-substantive Change Justification Statement

Agricultural Resource Management, Chemical Use and Post-harvest Chemical Use Surveys, OMB 0535-0218

NASS is submitting this non-substantive change request for the Agricultural Resource Management Survey (ARMS), Fruit and Vegetable Chemical Use Surveys, and Post-harvest Chemical Use Survey information collection, OMB Control Number 0535-0218, to address minor ARMS Phases I, II and III questionnaire changes, along with a minor increase in total respondent burden hours.

The overall scope, methodology, and sampling for the ARMS surveys, has not changed from the original documentation that was approved in December 2008. The surveys included in this docket are the only annual, national-level, representative surveys of American farm operators and their households, covering the 48-contiguous states, 15-plus major commodities, and farms of all sizes and types. In ARMS, farmers report on a wide variety of topics, ranging from production practices to household finances. The coverage of geographic regions and variety of farm types and sizes, coupled with the extensive data collected, make ARMS the Department of Agriculture’s primary source of information about the financial condition, production practices, resource use, and economic well-being of farms and farm households.

In all previous submissions for this docket (0535-0218), NASS would provide the previous versions of the questionnaires at the time of submission, with the understanding that we could submit the revised questionnaires at a later date. This is necessary, since the data being collected involves economic and environmental factors. Normally the questionnaires will require some additional fine tuning questions to be added each year to accommodate changes in the farming industry.

This year, several lines of questioning were expanded in the three phases of the ARMS surveys to add clarity to data being collected. None of these additions have resulted in sampling or scope changes for any of the ARMS surveys, nor are these changes expected to result in any significant changes to burden.

Previous budget cuts reduced the frequency at which some of the surveys were conducted along with some of the sample sizes during the current approval period. Recent budget changes have allowed NASS to expand much of the program back to the previous survey levels.

Changes that occurred following the previous approval:

Burden Hours Adjustment

2008 - ARMS Screening (Phase 1) postponed (11,779)

• Reduction in publicity materials used ( 4,113)

2009 - Changed the survey year for the Fruit

Chem. Use Survey from 2010 to 2009 3,917

• Increase in publicity materials used 518

2010 - ARMS Screening (Phase 1) increased sample size 4,717

• Increase in Commodity Cost of Prod. (Phase III) sample 1,813

• Organic Commodity Practices (Phase II) Corn 383

• Organic Commodity Costs & Returns (Phase III) Corn 703

• Changed the 2010 fruit Chem. Use Survey into the

2010 Veg. Chem. Use Survey 2,536

• Additional publicity materials used 2,606

Net Change 1,301

Annual average change in burden 434

The estimated increase in annual burden is 434 hours or an increase of less than 1.0% over the previously approved burden.