The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has begun the final phase of its 2025 Agricultural Resource Management Survey, a nationwide effort to collect detailed economic information from farmers and ranchers to help guide agricultural policy and decision-making.

The survey, known as ARMS, is conducted by the USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) and is one of the federal government’s primary tools for measuring the financial health of U.S. farms. The final phase, which started in late December, focuses on farm production costs and operating expenses, including expenditures tied to major commodities such as cotton, hogs, and broiler chickens.

Farmers who were selected to participate are encouraged to respond promptly. For those who do not initially reply, follow-up interviews will begin in February, with trained NASS representatives reaching out to collect the remaining data.

USDA officials say the information gathered through ARMS plays a critical role in shaping local, state, and federal agricultural policies, helping lawmakers, researchers, and industry leaders better understand farm finances, cost pressures, and economic trends across rural America.

The agency also emphasized that all information provided is strictly confidential, protected by federal law, and used only for statistical purposes. Individual farm data are never released or shared in identifiable form.

Producers’ participation, officials say, ensures agriculture programs and policies are based on accurate, real-world conditions faced by today’s farmers.