Published 2:30 pm Wednesday, March 1, 2023
Census of Agriculture questionnaires will be accepted through spring even though the original deadline has passed, USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service said.
By continuing to receive the census information past the Feb. 6 deadline, NASS aims to ensure all farmers and ranchers take advantage of the opportunity to be represented in the widely used data.
About 40% of Idaho producers have completed and returned questionnaires so far, said Ben Johnson, NASS statistician for the state.
It is important for all producers to “take part in representing their industry,” he said. “The data provided will be a valuable piece of history and will inform decisions that will help shape the future of American agriculture for the next five or six years.
NASS will continue to follow up with emails and physical mailings, phone calls and visits. Producers can complete the census by mail, or online at agcensus.usda.gov.
Census data are used by people, businesses and other organizations that serve farmers, ranchers and rural communities. Farm programs and funding, crop insurance rates, rural development and disaster assistance are among areas the data impact.
Federal law requires those who received a questionnaire to return it even if they are no longer farming. NASS must keep all responses confidential, use the information for statistical purposes only, and publish aggregate data to prevent identifying individual producers or operations.
NASS has methods to account for non-response. But ultimately producers lose out when the the agency does not have enough data to publish for commodities or localities, Johnson said. If that occurs, agriculture starts losing its voice and representation, and risks being underserved.
Census of Agriculture results, published every five years, are expected in early 2024.
