Five-Year Agriculture Census Now in Progress

By CnAgri Print

America's farmers and ranchers are again being asked to take part in the 2012 Census of Agriculture. The census is conducted every five years by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Agricultural Statistics Service. The census is a complete count of all U.S. farms, ranches and those who operate them.

"It is important that all growers, state farmers, women farmers and ranchers respond," said Mike Duffy, Iowa State University Extension economist. "Census information is your voice and helps to shape the farm future as farmers. The Census of Agriculture is the only opportunity to know the state of U.S. agriculture. The census data can be used for research projects, general information on trends, basis for policy decisions and a host of other activities. Farmers benefit from completing the census as completely and accurately as possible because the information is used in a variety of ways that can affect them directly."

Renee Picanso, director of NASS's Census and Survey Division, says the census data is vital. The census looks at land use and ownership, operator characteristics, production practices, income and expenditures and other topics. This information is used by all those who serve farmers and rural communities from federal, state and local governments to agribusinesses and trade associations. She contends that legislators do use the data when shaping farm policy, agribusinesses factor it into their planning efforts and rural service providers use it in planning community improvements.

The most up to date data being passed along by NASS is based on the 2007 census when 2 million farms existed that totaled 922 million acres. This was a 4 percent increase in the number of U.S. farms from the previous 2002 census, but the increase was basically hobby farmers or farmer market suppliers.

NASS is to have all the census forms out by the end of December. Completed forms are due by Feb. 4, 2013.

Producers can fill out the census online via a secure website, www.agcensus.usda.gov, or return their form by mail.