During the next several weeks, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) will conduct two major mid-year surveys, the June Agricultural Survey and the June Area Survey. The agency will survey more than 700 farms across West Virginia to determine crop production and supplies levels in 2016.
“Due to the widespread and significant impact of its results, these are two of the most important and well-known surveys NASS conducts,” explained David Knopf, director of the NASS Eastern Mountain Regional Office in Kentucky. “When growers respond, they provide essential information that helps determine the prospective production and supply of major commodities in the United States for 2016. Everyone who relies on agriculture for their livelihoods is interested in the results.”
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 on that land. Growers provide information on crop acreage, grain stocks, livestock inventory, cash rents, land values, and value of sales.
“It is very essential for farmers to participate due to the influence the estimates have on our agricultural industry and on government policy and programs,” explained Charmaine Wilson, West Virginia state statistician. “With the grower’s willingness to respond, it helps us publish reliable data that’s leading to success in servicing West Virginia agriculture.”
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 report, both to be released June 30, 2016. USDA’s monthly World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates also includes these data.
“NASS safeguards the privacy of all responses and publishes only state- and national-level data, ensuring that no individual operation or producer can be identified,” Knopf stated. “We recognize this is a hectic time for farmers, but the information they provide helps U.S. agriculture remain viable and capable. I urge them to respond to these surveys and thank them for their cooperation.”
All reports are available on the NASS website: http://www.nass.usda.gov/Publications.
For more information on NASS surveys and reports, call the NASS Eastern Mountain Regional Field Office at (800) 928-5277.
