Draft Letter to Respondents for Post Harvest - Oats

2006 POSTHARVEST CHEMICAL USE SURVEY

SAMPLE RESPONDENT LETTER – OATS

[Date]

Dear [Name]:

Your operation is among approximately 1300 oat storage and handling facilities in 12 states that have been selected to participate in the 2006 Postharvest Chemical Use Survey. Your response will help ensure that the U.S. Department of Agriculture has the most accurate, real-world data on how crop protection chemicals are used to ensure the quality and safety of the U.S. oat supply.

Within the next [#] weeks, a representative from the [State] Field Office of USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) will call you to set up a convenient time for an in-person interview. The interview should require only about 30 minute of your time. You can help things go smoothly by having your chemical use records readily available.

You participation in the Postharvest Chemical Use Survey benefits you, your customers and the entire oat industry because:

• It enables you and others who store and handle oats to document how you use postharvest chemicals responsibly to maintain a safe and abundant food supply.

• The survey results are official USDA estimates that help to establish the facts about postharvest chemical use. Accurate data can be used to lessen concerns relating to marketing and exports to other countries.

• Accurate and timely information on actual usage is used by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to make informed decisions regarding pesticide registration, re-registration, and product alternatives under the Food Quality Protection Act (FQPA).

Please be assured that your responses to this survey 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, ensuring that no individual respondent or operation can be identified.

Thank you in advance for your participation in this important survey. If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact [Firstname Lastname] at (800) XXX-XXXX.

Sincerely,

[Director’s Name]

Director