Maryland Agriculture Secretary Urges Farmers to Participate in USDA June Surveys

Surveys Seek Feedback from Growers about 2019 Crops, Stocks, Livestock Inventories and Values

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 stock levels as of June 1, 2019.

“Two of the most important NASS surveys are conducted in June and their results have wide-reaching impact for farmers, businesses, lawmakers, the USDA, and many others,” said Secretary Bartenfelder. “We recognize that this is a hectic time for farmers, but the information they provide helps agriculture remain strong and viable across the country and in Maryland. I urge all Maryland farmers to participate in these surveys and thank them for their cooperation.”

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

“NASS safeguards the privacy of all respondents and publishes only state-level 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. “When growers respond to these surveys, they provide essential information that helps determine the expected acreage and supply of major commodities in the U.S. for the 2019 crop year.”

NASS will compile and analyze the survey information and publish the results in a series of USDA reports, including the annual Acreage and quarterly Grain Stocks reports, both to be released on June 28. Survey data also contributes to NASS’s 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.

# # #

Follow Maryland Department of Agriculture on Twitter @MdAgDept