Strawberry Grower Inquiry
NASS Survey Training
Strawberry Grower Inquiry (STRAWBERRY PDI)
United States Department of Agriculture National Agricultural Statistics Service NOD-Training Group November 2017
Grower Inquiry Overview • Strawberry grower inquiries are conducted: – To help producers develop marketing plans for their operations, determine what to produce, and determine when and how to sell their products. – To enable the industry to forecast transportation and storage requirements, and to evaluate export potential. – To provide farm organizations information to help form policy positions and develop producer programs. • Grower Associations can use the data to help promote the industry.
General Survey Information • Project Code - 139 - Fresh Mkt Vegetables Survey • Questionnaires mailed out October 26th – Web reporting option (EDR) available
• Release: – Vegetables-Annual Summary (February 13, 2018)
Strawberry PDI • Wait!!! We already did a Strawberry PDI survey this year. Why are we doing another one?? – CA and FL have a much longer growing season for strawberries than the other states, and strawberry harvest was not yet complete when we did the first PDI survey. Now we can get final production and sales data from the two largest producing states.
Strawberries (2016) • Acres Planted: 53,600 • Acres Harvested: 52,500 • Total Production: 31,320,000 pounds – Or: $2,335,910,000
• Yield per acre: 597 hundredweight (CWT) • Price: $74.60 per CWT
Screening • Did this operation have any strawberry acreage in 2017? • If none: – Will this operation plant any strawberry acreage in the future?
– Leave good notes if the operation is completely out of business (no agricultural activity) • What happened? New operator? Any other info?
Strawberries • How many total acres of strawberries were on the operation in 2017? – Of the total acres, how many were harvested or to be harvested in 2017? • Nearest tenth acre
• Total quantity harvested or expected to be harvested in 2017? – Can be reported in pounds, cwt, tons, other units • If “other unit” is reported, we also need the weight of the unit in pounds
Strawberries • Of the total production harvested, how much was: – Sold for Fresh market – Sold for commercial Processing • Again, can be reported in pounds, cwt, tons, other units – If other unit is reported, we will need the weight of one unit in pounds
– Used to make processed items for this operation to sell – Harvested, but not sold • Has total 2017 strawberry crop been marketed?
Strawberry Grower Inquiry • At the end of the survey we ask for comments about the 2017 crop – any additional comments are very important to help give an accurate picture of the strawberry growing season and are very beneficial when establishing final production figures.
Watch out for: • Strawberry acreage reported, but none harvested in 2017 (this is still a good report) • Quantities sold for fresh market and processing must be less than or equal to total production • Exceptionally large acreage • Acres significantly different from previously reported information • Suspicious yields (state specific) • California avg. yield (2016) = 760 cwt./ac. • Florida avg. yield (2016) = 205 cwt./ac.
Reluctant Responses • Small farmer/operation – I’m glad you brought that up. All operations are important, big or small. The management practices of a smaller operation are different from the larger ones, and this is your chance to let your voice be heard. Information you provide can help others become aware of the challenges facing small operators.
Reluctant Responses (2) • Prices are not good, we need more money. – I understand your concern about prices. Others have expressed that same feeling. That’s why it’s so important to share your information. Accurate information from growers like yourself lets everyone know the true condition of the current markets and can be valuable in helping to address those price concerns.
Conclusion • Leave good notes – Any time you need to explain a situation – Or want to provide info to the office • You are our “eyes and ears” out in the field
• Work through some practices on your iPad – BEFORE interviewing!
• Contact your supervisor/regional office with any questions specific to your area 13
Strawberry Grower Inquiry (STRAWBERRY PDI)
United States Department of Agriculture National Agricultural Statistics Service NOD-Training Group November 2017
Grower Inquiry Overview • Strawberry grower inquiries are conducted: – To help producers develop marketing plans for their operations, determine what to produce, and determine when and how to sell their products. – To enable the industry to forecast transportation and storage requirements, and to evaluate export potential. – To provide farm organizations information to help form policy positions and develop producer programs. • Grower Associations can use the data to help promote the industry.
General Survey Information • Project Code - 139 - Fresh Mkt Vegetables Survey • Questionnaires mailed out October 26th – Web reporting option (EDR) available
• Release: – Vegetables-Annual Summary (February 13, 2018)
Strawberry PDI • Wait!!! We already did a Strawberry PDI survey this year. Why are we doing another one?? – CA and FL have a much longer growing season for strawberries than the other states, and strawberry harvest was not yet complete when we did the first PDI survey. Now we can get final production and sales data from the two largest producing states.
Strawberries (2016) • Acres Planted: 53,600 • Acres Harvested: 52,500 • Total Production: 31,320,000 pounds – Or: $2,335,910,000
• Yield per acre: 597 hundredweight (CWT) • Price: $74.60 per CWT
Screening • Did this operation have any strawberry acreage in 2017? • If none: – Will this operation plant any strawberry acreage in the future?
– Leave good notes if the operation is completely out of business (no agricultural activity) • What happened? New operator? Any other info?
Strawberries • How many total acres of strawberries were on the operation in 2017? – Of the total acres, how many were harvested or to be harvested in 2017? • Nearest tenth acre
• Total quantity harvested or expected to be harvested in 2017? – Can be reported in pounds, cwt, tons, other units • If “other unit” is reported, we also need the weight of the unit in pounds
Strawberries • Of the total production harvested, how much was: – Sold for Fresh market – Sold for commercial Processing • Again, can be reported in pounds, cwt, tons, other units – If other unit is reported, we will need the weight of one unit in pounds
– Used to make processed items for this operation to sell – Harvested, but not sold • Has total 2017 strawberry crop been marketed?
Strawberry Grower Inquiry • At the end of the survey we ask for comments about the 2017 crop – any additional comments are very important to help give an accurate picture of the strawberry growing season and are very beneficial when establishing final production figures.
Watch out for: • Strawberry acreage reported, but none harvested in 2017 (this is still a good report) • Quantities sold for fresh market and processing must be less than or equal to total production • Exceptionally large acreage • Acres significantly different from previously reported information • Suspicious yields (state specific) • California avg. yield (2016) = 760 cwt./ac. • Florida avg. yield (2016) = 205 cwt./ac.
Reluctant Responses • Small farmer/operation – I’m glad you brought that up. All operations are important, big or small. The management practices of a smaller operation are different from the larger ones, and this is your chance to let your voice be heard. Information you provide can help others become aware of the challenges facing small operators.
Reluctant Responses (2) • Prices are not good, we need more money. – I understand your concern about prices. Others have expressed that same feeling. That’s why it’s so important to share your information. Accurate information from growers like yourself lets everyone know the true condition of the current markets and can be valuable in helping to address those price concerns.
Conclusion • Leave good notes – Any time you need to explain a situation – Or want to provide info to the office • You are our “eyes and ears” out in the field
• Work through some practices on your iPad – BEFORE interviewing!
• Contact your supervisor/regional office with any questions specific to your area 13
