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2008 Policy Book
First | Previous | Next | Last | 2008 Index | Policy Book Archive#42 USDA NATIONAL AGRICULTURAL STATISTICS SERVICE (NASS) MICHIGAN FIELD OFFICE
The agricultural industry has developed many mechanisms for reporting the size and progress of crops and other agricultural commodities. The system that has been most widely adopted by the industry is the USDA NASS program. To ensure the accuracy of these reports, farmers should give NASS full cooperation. Michigan Farm Bureau will continue to work with NASS to find ways to improve and simplify the gathering of information, such as exploring the use of Farm Service Agency producer information already reported.
We recommend USDA and the Michigan Department of Agriculture adequately fund their full portion of this cost-share service. Accurate and timely statistics are essential to the further development of Michigan agriculture and finding new markets, as well as attracting new processing facilities.
We encourage producers to cooperate with the NASS in conducting the U.S. Census of Agriculture. We support distribution of the data in a timely and usable format to producers.
We support development of an accurate system to calculate county yields based on actual test results or scientific data considering irrigated vs. dry land yields.
We support conducting an equine census in Michigan.
