NASS
- 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 confidential National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) crop survey has been declining in recent years—and that’s bad news for farmers.
- Results of the confidential NASS crop survey are important in determining the implementation of farm payments and programs you depend on—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 actual production in your county.
- The downward trend in farmer-completed surveys has led to the inability of NASS to publish reliable data in numerous counties across the country. If this continues, NASS may not be able to publish this data for many counties at all.
- 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.
- If you do not take the time to complete the confidential NASS crop survey, you are putting yourself at risk of receiving ARC payments that don’t reflect actual production in your county.
- Farmer-reported data is aggregated to determine county yields and aid in establishing price elections for various crops. This is fundamental to the equitable distribution and implementation of farm payments and programs—and it relies on farmers supplying their information.
- This is about your bottom line. By taking the time to complete the confidential NASS crop survey, you 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.
- Please complete the confidential NASS crop survey. Help make sure that farm programs in your county are fair—because the facts are coming from real farmers like you.
- 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.
