Excerpts from the report: The Statistical Reporting Service, presently part of the Economics and Statistics Service (ESS) of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), has used small agricultural areas as sampling units for agricultural estimates for about 35 years. USDA has also done basic research to Improve the methodology of area sampling frames and their use, and at present the frames are a tool for the efficient production of a wl.de array of agricultural estimates in the US. This report summarizes activities and accomplishments of the Economics and Statistics Service (ESS), U.S. Department of Agriculture under contract with the US Agency for International Development (AID) to assist developing countries in preparing and using area sampling frames (ASF) in agriculture. An "area sampling frame" is a breakdown of the land area of a country into units of size and location appropriate for sampling. Aerial photographs and Landsat remote sensing images are used in dividing the land area. The area frames are designed to be used in the collection of information from interview surveys of farmers; they may also be used to sample remote sensing data. Area frame samples are a well-developed, efficient technique for collecting such information.