Administrative Data Used by the National Agricultural Statistics
Administrative Data Used by the National Agricultural Statistics Service Dan Beckler (dan. beckler@nass. usda. gov) United States Department of Agriculture National Agricultural Statistics Service Sixth International Conference on Agricultural Statistics, 2013
Overview • Explain how the National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) uses administrative data from the Farm Service Agency (FSA) • Identify successes and challenges with using these administrative data
About NASS • Conduct many sample surveys (on U. S. farmers) annually & the U. S. Census of Agriculture every 5 years • Collect, edit, analyze data set Official USDA Agricultural estimates • Also use a variety of administrative data (records) – Many administrative data sources – Primary Source: USDA’s Farm Service Agency
About the Farm Service Agency (FSA) • FSA is another agency within the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) • Administers U. S. Farm Programs authorized by the “Farm Bill” • FSA collects a variety of data from farmers participating in these programs • These data determine eligibility, compliance, and benefits for the Farm Programs • Not every U. S. farmer participates in FSA programs
Incorporation of FSA Data in NASS’s Processes • Reduce respondent burden • Greater efficiency (reduced budgets) – Data collection cost savings • Improve estimates • It just makes sense! – Office of Management & Budget (OMB) encourages the use of administrative data
Types of FSA Data Uses • Crop Acreage Data from FSA’s annual Acreage Report • Names and Addresses of Farm Program participants • Common Land Units (CLUs)
FSA Crop Acreage Data • Program participants must complete an annual Acreage Report that lists crops and acreages by field • NASS generates U. S. , State, and County aggregates of these data – These aggregates serve as minimums when NASS generates official USDA planted acre estimates (based on NASS surveys and remotely sensed data)
FSA Participant Names & Addresses • Data include: Names, Addresses, Race, Gender, Ethnicity data for FSA Farm Program Participants • Used for List Frame building for NASS’s List Sampling Frame and for the Census of Agriculture Mailing List • Definitional differences present challenges in using names directly
FSA Common Land Units (CLUs) • Geographic Information System (GIS) representations of fields identified on FSA’s annual Acreage Report • CLUs used in conjunction with FSA Acreage Report data as ground truth in the development of NASS’s Cropland Data Layer • CLUs used in conjunction with FSA names/addresses to assist interviewers identify and find farm operates for NASS’s annual June Area Survey (area-frame sample)
Challenges to Using FSA Admin. Data • Reporting Unit differences – An FSA “Farm” is not the same as agricultural operations NASS counts as “Farms” • Data quality – Must remain vigilant and review FSA data - data issues that may be benign for FSA, may severely impact NASS – Oct 2008 Crop Production Release • Less control over administrative data – FSA changes may necessitate fast-response changes for NASS
Future of FSA Admin. Data for NASS • Continue using FSA administrative data as we have been • Investigate additional uses – FSA acreage data as covariates in estimating county-level plant and harvested acres (using small-area empirical best prediction (EBP) models) – Opportunities for using FSA data in lieu of collecting separate survey data
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