USDA to Survey for Crop Production

From the USDA
 
As the 2016 growing season comes to an end, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service will contact producers nationwide to gather final year-end crop production numbers and the amount of grain and oilseed they store
on their farms.
 
At the same time, the statistics service will survey grain facility operators to determine year-end off-farm grain and oilseed stocks.
 
“These surveys are the largest and most important year-end surveys conducted by NASS,” explained New York State Statistician Blair Smith. “They are the basis for the official USDA estimates of production and harvested acres of all major agricultural commodities in the United States and year-end grain and oilseed supplies.”
 
“Data from the survey will benefit farmers and processors by providing timely and accurate information to help them make crucial year-end business decisions and begin planning for the next growing and marketing season,” Smith said.
 
The information will be compiled, analyzed and then published in a series of USDA reports, including the Crop Production Annual Summary and quarterly Grain Stocks report to be released Jan. 12.
 
“Responses to the survey will be used in calculating county yields,” Smith said. “USDA uses county yield information from the survey to evaluate and administer vital farm disaster mitigation and insurance programs such as Price Loss Coverage and Agricultural Risk Coverage.”
 
“Farmers who receive this survey are not included in the County Agricultural Production Survey, therefore this is their only opportunity to be included in the calculation of New York’s county yields,” Smith said.