Farmers and ranchers in Missouri still have time to be counted in the 2022 Census of Agriculture, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS). Although the deadline for submitting the ag census has just passed, NASS will continue to accept completed census questionnaires through the spring to ensure all farmers and ranchers take advantage of the opportunity to be represented in the widely used data.
“Thousands of Missouri farmers and ranchers have already responded, and that is great,” said NASS’s Heartland Regional Field Office Director Brad Summa. "But we need more responses to show the full scope and complexity of Missouri agriculture. I encourage all producers, small and large, to make sure their voice is heard, and their farm is counted. Please respond by mail or internet.”
NASS will continue to follow up with Missouri producers through the spring with mailings, phone calls, and personal visits. Farmers and ranchers are encouraged to complete their ag census either online at agcounts.usda.gov or by mail as soon as possible.
Federal law under Title 7 USC 2204(g) Public Law 105-113 mandates that everyone who received the 2022 Census of Agriculture questionnaire complete and return it, even if they are not currently farming. The same law requires NASS to keep all submissions confidential, use the information for statistical purposes only, and publish aggregate data to prevent disclosing the identity of any individual producer or farm operation.
NASS will release the results of the ag census in early 2024.
For more information, contact the NASS Heartland Regional Field Office at (800) 551-1014 or nassrfohlr@usda.gov.
Categories: Missouri, Business