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Farm Programs: USDA's Wheat Poll--The Results Are Not Reliable

RCED-88-6 Published: Oct 23, 1987. Publicly Released: Oct 23, 1987.
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Highlights

In response to a congressional request, GAO reviewed the Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Agricultural Stabilization and Conservation Service's (ASCS) design and implementation of its 1986 wheat poll to measure producers' reactions to the wheat production control program.

Recommendations

Recommendations for Executive Action

Agency Affected Recommendation Status
Department of Agriculture To ensure that the results from any future poll or referendum that the Secretary of Agriculture may be required to conduct are reliable, the Secretary should direct the Administrator, ASCS, to modify the ASCS Handbook Commodity Referendums to require that appropriate verification is made of the producers in the target group. The Administrator could: (1) determine which producers are in the target group prior to distributing the ballots and indicate it on each ballot; and (2) verify whether or not producers are in the target group for only those producers who return ballots.
Closed – Implemented
ASCS has included procedures in its administrative manual to ensure that proper verification is made of producers in the target group.
Department of Agriculture To ensure that the results from any future poll or referendum that the Secretary of Agriculture may be required to conduct are reliable, the Secretary should direct the Administrator, ASCS, to modify the ASCS Handbook Commodity Referendums to include policies and procedures to overcome the weaknesses identified in the administration of the wheat poll. The Handbook should include procedures that would: (1) treat producers and their spouses in noncommunity property states the same as those in community property states in any national poll or referendum; (2) minimize the possibility that producers with multiple-county farm operations would receive and cast more than one ballot in a national poll or referendum; and (3) require that the letter transmitting a ballot and the ballot be designed in accordance with accepted principles for conducting mail surveys and tested prior to distribution to ensure that the questions on the ballot are clear and unbiased.
Closed – Implemented
ASCS has implemented part two of this reocommendation dealing with producers on multiple county farms. ASCS has verbally committed to part three of this recommendation; however, nothing has been documented. Regarding part one of this recommendation dealing with community property states, ASCS disagreed and plans to make no changes in its regulations or guidance.

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Topics

Agricultural policiesData integrityFarm income stabilization programsFarm subsidiesGrain and grain productsProgram evaluationStatistical dataStatutory lawSurveysAgricultural commodities