Maryland Ag Secretary Urges Farmers to Participate in USDA National Ag Statistics Surveys

ANNAPOLIS, MD – Maryland Agriculture Secretary Joe Bartenfelder is urging farmers across the state to participate in upcoming agricultural surveys by the USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS). NASS will be conducting two major mid-year surveys: the June Agricultural Survey and the June Area Survey. The agency will survey nearly 1,000 operations across Maryland to determine crop production and supplies levels in 2016.

“NASS surveys produce the most credible agricultural data available,” said Secretary Bartenfelder. “The information obtained by these upcoming surveys help to inform everyone from farmers to lawmakers and will surely have an impact on the agriculture industry in our state. I urge all Maryland farmers to participate in the surveys so we can make sure that everyone is working with the most accurate data possible.”

NASS gathers the data for the June Agriculture Survey online, by mail, phone and in-person interview. For the June Area Survey, agency representatives visit randomly selected tracts of land and interview the operators of any farm or ranch on that land. Growers provide information on crop acreage—including biotech crops—as well as grain stocks, livestock inventory, cash rents, land values, and value of sales.

“Due to the widespread and significant impact of its results, the June Agricultural Survey, also known as the Crops/Stocks Survey, as well as the June Area Survey, are two of the most important and well-known surveys NASS conducts,” said Dale P. Hawks, Delaware & Maryland State Statistician. “When growers respond to the June Agricultural Survey, they provide essential information that helps us determine the prospective production and supply of major commodities in the United States for the 2016 crop year. Everyone who relies on agriculture for their livelihoods is interested in the results.”

NASS will compile and analyze the survey information and publish the results in a series of USDA reports, including the annual Acreage report and quarterly Grain Stocks report, both to be released June 30. Survey data contribute to NASS’s monthly and annual Crop Production reports, as well as the annual Small Grains Summary and USDA’s monthly World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates.

All reports are available on the NASS website. For more information on NASS surveys and reports, call the NASS Maryland Field Office at 1-800-675-0295.

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