Budget-conscious measures spell end to nursery report, jobs

By MITCH LIES

Capital Press

Due to budget cuts, the National Agricultural Statistics Service is eliminating some reports, including an annual nursery report that an industry executive said is vital.

"It is very important for us when we do our advocacy work to have a sense of the size and scope of the largest agricultural sector in Oregon," said Elizabeth Peters, communications director for the Oregon Association of Nurseries.

"We're starting to brainstorm on ways to find some type of support somewhere to continue the survey," she said.

The cuts, announced Oct. 17, are in response to funding reductions for the current fiscal year and the likelihood of additional reductions in 2012, according to a press release from the agency.

The USDA faces dramatic cuts in the agricultural appropriations bills advancing in the House and the Senate, said Chris Mertz, director of the Oregon field office for NASS.

"The decision to eliminate or reduce these reports was not made lightly, but it was nevertheless necessary, given the funding situation," according to the NASS release.

NASS announced it is scaling back the frequency of several reports, including moving potato stock reports from monthly to quarterly, and doing the same for in-season forecasts of fresh fruits and vegetables.

Other reductions expected to impact West Coast producers are the elimination of:

* The annual hop report.

* The annual floriculture report.

* The January sheep and goat reports.

* The annual bee and honey report.

* The June and September reports of rice stocks.

NASS also is eliminating its July cattle report and the annual report on farm numbers, land in farms and livestock operations.

Nancy Frketich, administrator of the Oregon Hop Commission, said hop growers are considering conducting their own survey through the Oregon and Washington commission offices.

"It will be more work for us," Frketich said, "but if the growers want us to do it, we'll do it."

NASS supplied hop growers information on acreage in hops, production and stocks on hand.

Among considerations officials used to determine whether to cut reports were the economic value of a crop and whether survey data was necessary to implement USDA farm-payment programs, Mertz said.

Officials also considered whether survey data directly impacts markets, Mertz said, and whether private industries conduct duplicate reports.

NASS officials did not provide information on how many positions would be lost.

Mertz said he is losing five of his 15 employees. He didn't know if any would be replaced.

"When everything settles out and a clearer budget picture is known, then the agency will consider replacing some of my vacancies," Mertz said. "Until then, we will be working hard to provide the best statistics on Oregon agriculture that we can."