NASS Comments

AMS Dairy Products Mandatory Sales Reporting Extension Study

OMB control number 0581-0274

Reviewer:

Vanessa Huang, Mathematical Statistician

Summary, Estimation, and Disclosure Methodology Branch

National Agricultural Statistics Service

United States Department of Agriculture

General Comments:

This docket is well described and documented. Data collection procedure is well detailed to achieve the goals of the study.

Part A: Final

Nothing found to note a comment.

Part B: Final

Data collection method and procedures are well detailed. The universe count and sampling size are well defined.

The stated response rate of 100 percent is obviously excellent for Dairy census. However, is there a reason that there is no attempt to account for a missing response should it occur? Is it difficult to explain a change in the estimate due to a late response? Perhaps an imputation routine could be developed for anyone that does not respond in time. However, it sounds like nonresponse does not occur very often.

Are there any concerns with data confidentiality? Do you suppress estimates if only one or two facility reports an item? Perhaps the data is never that thin.