Non-substantive Change Request

Non-substantive Change Request

0535-0258 – Cost of Pollination Survey

After reviewing the finalized questionnaires along with the sample, one of the NASS Regional Field Offices made a suggested change to the questionnaire. It was noticed that approximately 5% of the crop farmers who were selected to participate in the survey and who could potentially make arrangements to have honey bees brought onto their farms for the purpose of pollinating their crops, also owned one or more honey bee colonies. To prevent any confusion on the data, we made two non-substantive changes to the questions highlighted below. These changes will be included in each of the commodity tables in the questionnaire.

Regarding burden, for about 95% of the sample, it will have no effect on burden.  For the remaining 5%, it should have minor, if any, effect on burden since respondents keep separate records for their “owned” and “rented” bees.  For these people, the original questionnaire would have required them to add the values for each item together, while the revised version will allow them to enter the separate values. Therefore, there will be no changes made to the amount of respondent burden, sample size or number of responses reported in the Supporting Statement, Part A, Item 12.

The changes are displayed on the following page.

Original questions:

SECTION 2 – COST OF HONEY BEE POLLINATION

1	2	3	4	5	6
Please answer for all crops pollinated by honey bees in 2015 (whether the bees are owned by the operation or brought in). (Crop)	How many acres of the crop in column 1 did honey bees pollinate? (Acres)	How many colonies of honey bees did this operation own or bring in to pollinate the crop in column 1? (Colonies)	Did this operation pay for honey bees to pollinate acres of the crop in column 1?	For how many acres of the crop in column 1 did this operation pay for pollination? (Acres)	What was the total amount this operation paid for honey bees to pollinate the crop in column 1? (Dollars)

Revised questions:

SECTION 2 – COST OF HONEY BEE POLLINATION
	1	2	3		4	5	6
	Please answer for all crops pollinated by honey bees in 2015 (whether the bees were owned by the operation or brought in).	How many acres of the crop in column 1 did honey bees pollinate?	How many colonies of honey bees were used to pollinate the crop in column 1? Report colonies owned by this operation and those colonies brought onto the operation.		Did this operation pay for honey bees to pollinate acres of the crop in column 1?	For how many acres of the crop in column 1 did this operation pay for pollination?	What was the total amount paid for honey bees not owned by this operation to pollinate the crop in column 1?
			Owned	Brought onto/ Not owned
	(Crop)	(Acres)	(Colonies)			(Acres)	(Dollars)