Public Comments

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October 16, 2023
Mr. Richard Hopper
NASS Clearance Officer
U.S. Department of Agriculture
Room 5336, South Building
1400 Independence Avenue, SW
Washington, DC 20250-2024
RE:

Federal Register notice of September 12, 2023 for National Agricultural Statistics Service
(NASS) Agricultural Surveys Program (OMB Number: 0535-0213)

Dear Mr. Hopper:
The Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) strongly supports the continuation of the NASS Agricultural
Surveys Program (ASP). This survey program provides source data for several important components of
BEA’s economic statistics related to farming.
BEA uses information collected in the ASP to prepare the national income and product, input-output, and
the regional economic accounts. More specifically, BEA uses ASP based estimates of farm cash receipts,
inventory change, and production from the Department of Agriculture’s Economic Research Service, to
prepare its estimates of state and national farm income and farm inventories. Although farm income,
inventories, and product are small shares of national income and product, their volatility must be
accurately measured to identify the sources of change in the overall economy.
Also, data on the number of farms by state from the ASP’s June Agricultural Survey (JAS) serve as the
basis for state estimates of the number of farm proprietors, a component of the regional employment
series. The JAS also is important because it is used to update and verify the list sampling frame for other
NASS surveys used directly or indirectly by BEA.
Please keep BEA informed about any modifications to these forms and schedules. We are particularly
interested in any modifications proposed during the forms’ approval process that would substantially
affect our use of these data. For additional information, please contact Tiffany Burrell, Source Data
Coordinator, on 301-278-9618, or by e-mail at [email protected]. Should you need assistance in
justifying these forms to the Office of Management and Budget, please do not hesitate to contact BEA.
Sincerely,

DENNIS FIXLER
Dennis J. Fixler
Chief Economist

Digitally signed by DENNIS
FIXLER
Date: 2023.10.16 12:01:43 -04'00'