Maryland Agriculture Secretary Urges Farmers to Participate in USDA National Agricultural Statistics Survey

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 its small grain production survey in early September. The agency is using this survey to asses the 2017 production and supply of small grains, which include, wheat, oats, barley, and rye.

“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 will contact Maryland survey participants in the first two weeks of September. In an effort save time and money for growers, participants will have the option to respond to the survey securely online instead of mailing the forms back to the agency. Farmers who have not responded by September 7 may receive a phone call from a NASS representative who will help them fill out the survey form.

“The small grains industry is a big player in Maryland agriculture and it is crucial for us to have accurate data about this key sector of the economy,” said NASS Maryland State Statistician Dale P. Hawks. “We will contact more than 750 producers in Maryland to accurately measure 2017 acreage, yield, and production for small grains. The data collected from this survey will also help set small grain acreage and production estimates at the county level.”

NASS safeguards the privacy of all respondents and publishes only aggregate data, ensuring that no individual operation or producer can be identified.

Survey results will be published in several reports, including the annual Small Grains Summary and the quarterly Grain Stocks report, both to be released on September 29. These and all NASS reports are available online at www.nass.usda.gov. For more information call the NASS Maryland Field Office at (800) 675-0295.

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