Ag Census Reminder

Ag Census Reminder

Bob Larson
Bob Larson
With today's Fruit Grower Report, I'm Bob Larson. Another reminder from the USDA's National Agricultural Statistics Service to complete your Census of Agriculture, even though the February deadline has long since passed.

NASS is accepting census information through the Spring ...

MERTZ ... "The census is the most comprehensive, uniform, data set measuring U.S. agriculture that we have. We have uniform data across each county and each state that's in the U.S."

The USDA's Chris Mertz says data collectors are gathering a lot of information ...

MERTZ ... "Land use, acreage production, sales, different land practices. The demographics are very important, food marketing practices that are involved in federal insurance, crop insurance and government programs. So, there's a lot of wide range of information that's unique."

Mertz says it allows the USDA to determine what's important in our ever-changing ag industry ...

MERTZ ... "One thing that's interesting to me, and is kind of topical, is investments in infrastructure. We've been measuring for some time about computer usage in the country and internet usage, and now we've been asking about high-speed internet. So, I like to thing that some of that data shows where is the high-speed internet so we can make that investment in our infrastructure in the U.S."

Mertz says of the 3-million Census questionnaires sent out in the fall, only 54.1 percent have been returned.

Statewide, Washington's latest returns show a response of nearly 52-and-a-half percent.

Questions? Go to agcensus dot usda dot gov ... or call the NASS office in Olympia at (360) 890-3300.

If you received a questionnaire but don't farm or no longer farm, just note that on the questionnaire and send it back in or go online.

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