The National Ag Statistics Service is ending all its data collection for the 2017 Census of Agriculture on July 31. Anyone who received the Census questionnaire is required by law to respond by that date. They can also fill out the census online at Ag Census Dot USDA Dot Gov.
NASS Administrator Hubert Hamer says the Census of Agriculture, which is conducted once every five years, provides the only source of comprehensive agricultural data for every state and county in the nation. ?Your information helps ensure that future decisions about U.S. agriculture represent you, your industry, and your community,? says Hamer. ?Every response matters, even the ones that tell us you?re not, or are no longer a farm.?
He points out that the same law that requires farmers to respond also requires the federal government to keep the information confidential. It?s used only for statistical purposes. Data is only published in aggregate form to prevent disclosing the identity of any individual producer or farm operation.
