Objective Yield Cover Letter - 2012

United States Department of Agriculture
National Agricultural Statistics Service
Your Field Office
Cooperating with xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

[Date]
Dear producer:
For more than 50 years, the Objective Yield Survey has played an integral part in U.S. crop forecasts.
USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) combines these field measurements with
farmer-reported survey data to publish monthly crop production forecasts. Farmers across the country use
the information to make informed decisions about their operations.
The Objective Yield Survey will begin in late April for wheat and late July for corn, soybeans, cotton, and
potatoes. A NASS representative will visit selected fields at the end of each month during the growing season
to measure the crop’s development and potential yield. During the first visit, we will ask you to verify the
acreage reported on previous NASS surveys. With your permission, we will then enter your field(s) to collect
plant and fruit counts and measurements. Your time will not be required for the field visits during this initial
visit or those following throughout the growing season.
According to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, an agency may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is
not required to respond to, a collection of information unless it displays a valid OMB control number. The
valid OMB control number for this information collection is 0535-0088. The time required to complete this
initial information collection is estimated to average 15-25 minutes per response, including the time for
reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and
completing and reviewing the collection of information.
Information requested in this survey is used to prepare estimates of selected agricultural commodities. Under
Title 7 of the U.S. Code and CIPSEA (Public Law 107-347), facts about your operation are kept confidential
and used only for statistical purposes in combination with similar reports from other producers. Response is
voluntary.
Thank you in advance for your support of our programs and [State] agriculture. If you have any questions or
concerns, please contact me at (xxx) xxx-xxxx.
Sincerely,

[Director’s Name]
Director, [State] Field Office
U.S. Department of Agriculture
National Agricultural Statistics Service
Enclosure

Mailing Address · City, State Zip
(000) 111-1111 · (000) 111-1111 FAX · www.nass.usda.gov
USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.

Thank you for cooperating on the 2012 Objective Yield Survey.
You can obtain reports which use Objective Yield Survey data on the Internet at:
www.nass.usda.gov
The dates of these reports and the crops covered are as follows:
May 10, 2012

Crop Production

Wheat (Winter)

June 12, 2012

Crop Production

Wheat (Winter)

July 11, 2012

Crop Production

Wheat (Winter)

August 10, 2012

Crop Production

Wheat (Winter), Corn, Cotton, and
Soybeans

September 12, 2012

Crop Production

Corn, Cotton, and Soybeans

September 28, 2012

Small Grains Annual

Wheat (Winter)

October 11, 2012

Crop Production

Corn, Cotton, and Soybeans

November 9, 2012

Crop Production

Corn, Cotton, Soybeans, and
Potatoes

December 11, 2012

Crop Production

Cotton and Potatoes

December 14, 2012

Potato Stocks

Potatoes

January 11, 2013*

Crop Production Annual

Corn, Cotton, and Soybeans

*Tentative