The U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) will survey producers in 32 states, including Minnesota, for its 2022 County Agricultural Production Survey (CAPS) and Sept. 1 Agricultural Survey. The agency is taking a comprehensive look into the 2022 production and supply of small grains, including spring wheat, oats, barley, and rye.
NASS will contact Minnesota producers to gather information on their 2022 production and the quantities of commodities stored on the farm. The surveys will collect information on total acres planted and harvested, and yield and production of small grains crops down to the county level.
"The data provided will help federal and state programs support the farmer," said Dan Lofthus, Minnesota state statistician. "I hope every producer understands the importance of these data and will take the time to respond if they receive this survey. Producers can lose out when there are no data to determine accurate rates for loans, disaster payments, crop insurance price elections, and more. Without data, agencies such as USDA's Risk Management Agency and Farm Service Agency do not have information on which to base the programs that serve those same producers."
Farmers are encouraged to respond online at agcounts.usda.gov or by mail. Producers who have not responded by Aug. 30 may be contacted by a NASS representative to schedule a time to help fill out the survey.
NASS safeguards the privacy of all respondents and publishes only aggregate data, ensuring that no individual operation or producer can be identified, as required by federal law.
NASS will publish state and national data in the annual Small Grains Summary and quarterly Grain Stocks reports Sept. 30 on the NASS website. County-level survey results will be published on the NASS Quick Stats database Dec. 15.
For more information, call the NASS Upper Midwest Regional Field Office at 800-772-0825.
Categories: Minnesota, Crops, Government & Policy