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Farmers: Remember to complete NASS surveys

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The confidential crop survey from the National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) will be arriving in your mailbox soon—and it’s very important that you take the time to complete it.

The number of farmers completing the NASS survey has been declining in recent years, and that’s bad news for farmers. Survey results are important in determining the implementation of farm payments and programs—from the Agriculture Risk Coverage Program (county option) to the Price Loss Coverage Program—even farm appraisals.

If NASS does not receive an adequate number of farmer-completed surveys from your county, they must use other less reliable sources of data to calculate the actual production numbers that impact you. With fewer farmers completing surveys, NASS is already unable to publish reliable data for some counties and – if the trend continues – many more are at risk.

This information is also critical to the agribusinesses that serve your farm, and it is critical to you if you follow crop supply reports in developing your marketing strategies and annual planning.

Farm programs and payments are too important to rely on third party sources and best guesses. That’s why it’s so very important that farmers provide their information.

For example, county-specific yield data is the basis for the Agriculture Risk Coverage (ARC) program yield guarantee calculations. If there are not enough completed surveys, farmers in your county may receive payments less than the amount that should be delivered.

Take the time to complete the NASS crop survey and play an active role in ensuring fair implementation of farm programs in your county.

Once you complete your survey, please encourage your neighbors to do the same. The more completed surveys from your county, the more accurate the data—and the more equitable implementation of farm programs and distribution of payments in your county.

NASS is a service of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Federal law ensures that the NASS crop survey is completely confidential and that your privacy is assured. To respond to your NASS survey click here.

 

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