FEBRUARY 15, 2023:
Farmers and ranchers still have time to be counted in the 2022 Census of Agriculture, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS).
Although the deadline for submitting responses to the ag census has passed, NASS will continue to accept completed census questionnaires through the spring to ensure all farmers and ranchers take advantage of the opportunity to be represented in the widely used data.
“We thank everyone who has completed their census to date. Since data collection began last fall, over a million ag census recipients across the country have returned their questionnaires, ensuring their operations and communities are represented,” said NASS Administrator Hubert Hamer. “We want all producers to use their voices to help shape the future of American agriculture. Census data inform decisions about policy, farm and conservation programs, infrastructure and rural development, research, education, and more. The stronger the response, the stronger the data. It’s not too late for farmers to be heard through the ag census, which occurs only once every five years.”
NASS will continue to follow up with producers through the spring with mailings, phone calls, and personal visits. Farmers and ranchers are encouraged to complete their ag census either online at agcounts.usda.gov or by mail as soon as possible. The online questionnaire is accessible on desktop, laptop, and other mobile devices.
Federal law under Title 7 USC 2204(g) Public Law 105-113 mandates that everyone who received the 2022 Census of Agriculture questionnaire complete and return it, even if they are not currently farming. The same law requires NASS to keep all submissions confidential, use the information for statistical purposes only, and publish aggregate data to prevent disclosing the identity of any individual producer or farm operation.
NASS will release the results of the ag census in early 2024. To learn more about the Census of Agriculture, visit agcounts.usda.gov. On the website, producers and other data users can access frequently asked questions, past ag census data, special study information, and more.
FEBRUARY 2, 2023:
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) National Agricultural Statistics Service reminds our nation’s farmers and ranchers that the deadline to respond to the 2022 Census of Agriculture is Monday, Feb. 6, 2023. Producers can respond online at agcounts.usda.gov or by mail.
NASS mailed the Census of Agriculture questionnaires to every known ag producer in the U.S. and Puerto Rico. Conducted just once every five years, the ag census provides a complete account of the nation’s farms and ranches and the people who operate them. Responding to the Census of Agriculture is required by federal law under Title 7 USC 2204(g) Public Law 105-113. The same law requires NASS to keep all individual operations’ information confidential, use the data for statistical purposes only, and publish the data in aggregate form to prevent disclosing the identity of any individual producer or farm operation.
“By participating in the 2022 Census of Agriculture, producers show the value and importance of American agriculture,” said NASS Administrator Hubert Hamer. “This nation owes a lot to our farmers and ranchers for providing safe and abundant food, feed, fiber, and more. To tell this story, we need to hear from all of our farmers and ranchers, no matter how big or small their part of agriculture. If you have already responded, thank you. If not, I encourage you to respond today.”
The Census of Agriculture remains the only source of uniform, comprehensive, and impartial agriculture data for every state, county, and U.S. territory. U.S. farm operations of all sizes, urban and rural, which produced and sold, or normally would have sold, $1,000 or more of agricultural products in 2022, are included as well as Puerto Rico farm operations which produced and sold, or normally would have sold, $500 or more of agricultural products in the ag census year.
“It is important that every producer respond to the 2022 Census of Agriculture so that they are represented and reflected in these influential data,” said Hamer. “These statistics will directly impact producers for years. Without their input, our hardworking ag producers risk being underserved.”
Producers who have submitted their completed ag censuses may disregard any additional ag census letters and forms. Whether producers responded online or by mail, they can verify their reports were received by going to agcounts.usda.gov, entering their survey codes, and checking the submitted date under the status column of the My Surveys tab. The status update is not always immediate. The update can take a few minutes up to several days, especially if the questionnaire was returned by mail.
NASS will release the results of the ag census in 2024. Visit nass.usda.gov/agcensus, for more information.
DECEMBER 21, 2022:
The U.S. Department of Agriculture has mailed (Dec. 12-16, 2022) the 2022 Census of Agriculture paper questionnaires to all known agriculture producers across the nation. Last month (Nov. 2022), producers received their survey codes with an invitation to respond online. Any South Dakota producer who did not respond online now has the option to complete the ag census at agcounts.usda.gov or by mail. Producers who have already responded to the 2022 Census of Agriculture online do not need to respond again. The deadline for response is Feb. 6, 2023.
“For producers in South Dakota, the Census of Agriculture is their opportunity to show the value and importance of South Dakota agriculture. Producers, policy-makers, and business leaders all use Census data to make informed decisions that will shape the future of the industry,” said Erik Gerlach NASS State Statistician for South Dakota. “Responding to the Census is more convenient than ever before. The online version is fast, user-friendly, and secure. Thank you to those producers that have already responded.”
The Census of Agriculture remains the nation’s only comprehensive and impartial agriculture data for every state, county, and U.S. territory. Farm operations of all sizes, urban and rural, which produced and sold, or normally would have sold, $1,000 or more of agricultural products in 2022, are included in the ag census. The Census of Agriculture is the producer’s voice in the future of American agriculture.
Responding to the Census of Agriculture is required by law under Title 7 USC 2204(g) Public Law 105-113. The same law requires NASS to keep all information confidential, to use the data only for statistical purposes, and only publish in aggregate form to prevent disclosing the identity of any individual producer or farm operation.
NASS will release the results of the ag census in early 2024.
To learn more about the Census of Agriculture, visit nass.usda.gov/AgCensus. Follow @usda_nass for the latest information.
DECEMBER 20, 2022:
The US Department of Agriculture has mailed (Dec. 12-16, 2022) the 2022 Census of Agriculture paper questionnaires to all known agriculture producers across the nation and Puerto Rico.
Producers in the states received their survey codes last month (Nov. 2022) with an invitation to respond online. Any producer who has yet to respond online now has the option to complete the ag census at agcounts.usda.gov or by mail. Producers who have already responded online do not need to respond again. The deadline for response is February 6, 2023.
USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service Administrator Hubert Hamer says, “We know producers are busy, which is why NASS worked to make responding to the ag census more convenient than ever before.”
The Census of Agriculture remains the nation’s only comprehensive and impartial agriculture data for every state, county, and U.S. territory. Responding to the Census of Agriculture is required by law, and the same law requires NASS to keep all information confidential.
DECEMBER 1, 2022:
The U.S. Department of Agriculture has mailed an invitation (Nov. 2022) to all known agriculture producers across South Dakota and the nation to respond online to the 2022 Census of Agriculture at agcounts.usda.gov. The ag census is the nation’s only comprehensive and impartial agriculture data for every state, county, and territory. By
completing the census, South Dakota producers can tell their story and help generate opportunities that better serve current and future generations of producers.
The 2022 Census of Agriculture will be mailed in phases, with paper questionnaires following in December. Producers need only respond once, whether securely online or by mail. The online option offers timesaving features ideal for busy producers. All responses are due Feb. 6, 2023. Farm operations of all sizes, urban and rural, which produced and sold, or normally would have sold, $1,000 or more of agricultural products in 2022, are included in the ag census.
Conducted every five years by USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS), the Census of Agriculture helps provide a complete picture of American agriculture. It highlights land use and ownership, producer characteristics, production practices, income and expenditures, among other topics. For 2022, new questions about the use of precision agriculture, hemp production, hair sheep and updates to internet access questions are included.
Responding to the Census of Agriculture is required by law under Title 7 USC 2204(g) Public Law 105-113. The same law requires NASS to keep all information confidential, to use the data only for statistical purposes, and only publish in aggregate form to prevent disclosing the identity of any individual producer or farm operation. NASS will release the results of the ag census in early 2024.
To learn more about the Census of Agriculture, visit nass.usda.gov/AgCensus.
NOVEMBER 29, 2022:
For the first time, the USDA will collect data on farmers growing hemp and using precision technology in the 2022 Census of Agriculture. The agency began regulating hemp production in 2021, and this will be the first census to publish data on those producers, who grow the crop for fabric, food products, and CBD.
The agency says it will also identify farmers who use “precision agriculture” data-collection technology that guides planting decisions. About 70 percent of the nation’s 2.2 million farms responded to the 2017 census. Response rates in recent years have trended downward. Farmers are required by law to fill out the survey, but NASS has no enforcement mechanism.
Donald Buysse, chief of the census planning branch with NASS, says, “The incentive is the idea you’re providing data as a useful tool for your community.”
USDA will collect responses until February 6, 2023, and publish the data in February 2024.
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