Maryland Agriculture Secretary Urges Farmers to Participate in USDA National Agricultural 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 contact nearly 1,000 producers across Maryland to determine crop acreage and supply levels as of June 1, 2018.

“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.

“NASS safeguards the privacy of all respondents and publishes only state- and national-level data, ensuring that no individual operation or producer can be identified,” said Dale P. Hawks, Maryland/Delaware State Statistician of the NASS Northeastern Regional Office. “We recognize this is a hectic time for farmers and ranchers, but the information they provide helps U.S. agriculture remain viable and capable.”

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 reports, both to be released on June 29. Survey data also contributes to NASS’s monthly and annual Crop Production reports, as well as the annual Small Grains Summary, the annual Farms and Land in Farms and Land Values reports, various livestock reports, including Cattle, Sheep and Goats, and Hogs and Pigs, 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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