Pennsylvania Ag Connection - USDA to Collect Vegetable Acres, Production, Sales Data

Pennsylvania Ag News Headlines

USDA to Collect Vegetable Acres, Production, Sales Data
Pennsylvania Ag Connection - 10/19/2017

During the next several weeks, U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) will conduct the Vegetable Grower Inquiry. The agency plans to visit vegetable growers across the United States, including nearly 4,000 in the Northeastern Region.

NASS conducts the Vegetable Grower Inquiry once a year to obtain the acreage, production, and value of sales. "When growers respond to these surveys, they provide essential information that helps us determine the prospective production and supply of these commodities in the United States for the 2017 crop year. Everyone who relies on agriculture for their livelihoods is interested in the results," explained King Whetstone, director of NASS Northeastern Regional Field Office in Pennsylvania.

NASS gathers the data for these surveys online, by mail, over the phone and through in person interviews. Growers provide information on crop acreage, production, and value of sales. NASS will compile and analyze the survey information and publish the results in a series of USDA reports, including the Annual Vegetable Release, scheduled for February 13, 2018.

"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 Whetstone. "We recognize this is a hectic time for farmers and ranchers, but the information they provide helps U.S. agriculture remain viable and capable. I urge them to respond to these surveys and thank them for their cooperation."

For more information on NASS surveys and reports, call the NASS Northeastern Regional Field Office at 1-800-498-1518.

Other Pennsylvania Headlines