USDA seeks input from growers about 2015 crops, stocks, inventories, values

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 over 5,000 operators across Iowa to determine crop acreage and supply levels for 2015.
NASS gathers the data for the June Agriculture Survey online, by mail and/or by phone. For the June Area Survey, a NASS representative will visit randomly selected tracts of land and interview the operators of any farm on that land. Growers will provide information on crop acreage, as well as grain stocks, livestock inventory, cash rents, land values, and value of sales.
“Due to the widespread impact of its results, these are two of the most significant surveys NASS conducts,” explained Greg Thessen, director of the NASS Upper Midwest Regional Field Office in Des Moines, Iowa. “The information growers provide serves as the first clear sign of the prospective production and supply of major commodities in the United States for the 2015 crop year.”
By taking just a few minutes to participate, the selected operators can help ensure the accuracy and quality of this data so that NASS reports can eliminate speculation about potential acreage and help producers make critical decisions about marketing their crops this year. The information is also used extensively by state, local, and national leaders to address agricultural related issues that may impact producers.
As with all NASS surveys, information provided by respondents is kept strictly confidential, as required by federal law. “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,” stated Thessen. “We recognize this is a hectic time for farmers, but the information they provide is essential to everyone involved in U.S. agriculture. I urge them to respond to these surveys and thank them for their cooperation,” said Thessen.
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, 2015. This survey data also contribute to NASS’s monthly Crop Production reports and the USDA’s World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates.
All reports are available on the NASS website at www.nass.usda.gov. For more information, call the NASS Iowa Regional Field Office at 800-772-0825.