Hey, farmers! Don’t forget to tell the USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service how badly Donald Trump screwed you this year!
The NASS says it will be sending out its year-end survey soon, and they need enough farmers to respond to provide solid data to help farmers and policymakers alike:
“These surveys are the largest and most important year-end surveys conducted by NASS,” explained NASS’s South Dakota State Statistician Erik Gerlach. “They are the basis for the official USDA estimates of production and harvested acres of all major agricultural commodities in the United States and grain and oilseed supplies. Data from the survey will benefit farmers and processors by providing timely and accurate information to help them make crucial year-end business decisions and begin planning for the next growing and marketing season.”
“Responses to the survey will be used in calculating county-level yields which have a direct impact on farmers around the State. USDA’s Farm Service Agency uses the data in administering producer programs such as the Agricultural Risk Coverage (ARC) included in the 2014 Farm Bill, and in determining disaster assistance program calculations,” said Gerlach. “NASS cannot publish a county yield unless it receives enough reports from producers in that county to make a statistically defensible estimate. So, it is very important that producers respond to this survey. In 2017, NASS was unable to publish several large producing counties due to an insufficient number of responses” [USDA-NASS South Dakota, press release, 2018.11.13].
One Big Chemical-Ag lobbyist says there’s a 65% chance that the lame-duck Congress will pass a Farm Bill, but in case they don’t, our many Dusty is going to need some data to finish the job that Princess Kristi will leave undone.
NASS will have to wait a bit for a lot of South Dakota surveys. According to today’s crop progress report, As of November 11, many more acres than usual remain to be harvested:
- Corn harvested was 71 percent, behind 79 last year and 85 for the five-year average.
- Soybeans harvested was 96 percent, near 99 both last year and average.
- Sorghum harvested was 75 percent, behind 82 last year and 88 average.
- Sunflowers harvested was 55 percent, well behind 79 last year and 76 average [USDA-NASS, press release #2, 2018.11.13].
Keep those tractors rolling, get those bean bins up, then check your mailbox for that USDA survey, and help NASS get an accurate picture of the harvest.