ARMS III - Backgrounder Sheet

NASS Programs

Agricultural Resource Management
Survey (ARMS) - Phase 3

About the Survey

How NASS Collects Data

Why is ARMS 3 important?

The Agricultural Resource
Management Survey (ARMS) is an
annual USDA survey of farmers
and ranchers to gather objective
information on the finances
and production practices of U.S.
farms and the characteristics and
economic well-being of farm
households.

NASS will collect data by
mail, online, and via personal
interviews. The agency will mail
the survey forms in December
2017 to more than 35,000
producers. The survey will cover
all states, except Alaska and
Hawaii. Completing this survey
fulfills your 2017 Census of
Agriculture requirement.

• A
 RMS is the only survey that
assesses the economic state
of the agriculture sector.

ARMS is a major source of data
for effective policy and decisionmaking in government and the
agriculture industry.
ARMS targets selected
commodities on a rotating basis.
The 2017 survey has a version
that focuses on the wheat sector
in selected states.
NASS will publish the farm
economic data in the annual
Farm Production Expenditures
report, to be released on
August 2, 2018, online at
www.nass.usda.gov. All ERS
reports will be published online
at www.ers.usda.gov. You can
view highlights from ARMS
surveys at
www.nass.usda.gov/go/ARMS.

Respondents may respond in
either of the following ways:
• Online – Respond online at
www.agcounts.usda.gov.
Responding online is easy,
cost-effective and secure. To
get started, all you need is
your identification number,
which is included on your
survey form.
• By mail or fax – Producers fill
out the survey questionnaire
and return it in the envelope
provided or via fax.
Additionally, 10,000 respondents
will be personally interviewed
by NASS enumerators. A NASS
representative will also contact
producers who do not respond to
arrange a personal interview.

United States Department of Agriculture
National Agricultural Statistics Service

• The Bureau of Economic
Analysis uses ARMS data to
calculate the farm sector
portion of the U.S. gross
domestic product.
• University extension services
use ARMS data extensively in
cost of production analysis
and forecasting.
• Policy makers have no other
way of knowing the costs
incurred by farmers and
ranchers. They need this
information to help them
make informed decisions.
• P
 olicymakers will use financial
information published in
NASS and ERS reports to
evaluate impacts of programs
introduced in the 2014 Farm
Bill.

www.nass.usda.gov