Colorado Hay Report and Ag Census Reminder

Compared to the week before trade activity was light on good demand. Heath Dewey has the latest Colorado Hay Report

The U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) is reminding Colorado farmers and ranchers that time is running short to participate in the 2017 Census of Agriculture. NASS has received more than 1.5 million completed questionnaires, more than 33,000 of those from Colorado. But both the national and Colorado return rates are currently lower than at this point in the 2012 Census. NASS is encouraging Colorado producers who have not returned their completed Census questionnaires to do so as soon as possible to avoid phone and in-person follow-up.

Producer who sold $1,000 or more of agricultural product in 2017, or normally would have produced and sold that much and landowners who lease their land to a producer are being asked to fill out the questionnaire. The Census of Agriculture is the only comprehensive source of agriculture data for every state and county in the nation. Census data are used by policymakers, trade associations, researchers, agribusinesses, educators, and others. The information helps inform decisions on farm policy, rural development, and new farm technologies. It also aids in the creation and funding of loans and insurance programs and other forms of assistance, as well as in the cultivation of the next generation of farmers and ranchers.

Colorado producers can respond to the 2017 Census of Agriculture online at www.agcounts.usda.gov or by mail. . NASS will release Census results in February 2019.