http://www.nass.usda.gov/ National Agricultural Statistics Service provides timely, accurate, and useful statistics in service to U. S. agriculture. en-us 60 http://www.nass.usda.gov/rss/logo.gif http://www.nass.usda.gov nass@nass.usda.gov http://www.nass.usda.gov/Newsroom/2013/03_28_2013.asp Determined to make up for a crop that was adversely affected by historic drought last year, U.S. farmers intend to plant a record-high combined 174.4 million acres of corn and soybeans in 2013, according to the Prospective Plantings report released today by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS). If realized, corn will represent the highest planted acreage in the United States since 1936 (102 million planted acres) and for soybeans the fourth highest acreage on record. Thu, 28 Mar 2013 12:50:00 EDT http://www.nass.usda.gov/Newsroom/2013/03_06_2013.asp The U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) announces the launch of a new state-of-the-art, satellite-based U.S. crop condition vegetation assessment and monitoring service named VegScape http://nassgeodata.gmu.edu/VegScape/. Like the popular CropScape geospatial product, VegScape delivers interactive vegetation indices so that web users can explore, visualize, query, and disseminate current vegetative cover maps and data without the need for specialized expertise, software, or high end computers. Wed, 06 Mar 2013 15:00:00 EST http://www.nass.usda.gov/Newsroom/2013/02_27_2013.asp Over the next several weeks, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) will survey tens of thousands of growers about their 2013 planting intentions. The results of this survey will help all participants in the agriculture sector determine what to expect this growing season after a drought-hampered 2012 season. In addition to grain growers, NASS will also survey thousands of pork producers about their hog and pig inventories and spring farrowing intentions. Thu, 21 Feb 2013 9:30:00 EST http://www.nass.usda.gov/Newsroom/2013/02_21_2013.asp Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack has appointed 20 members to serve on the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Advisory Committee on Agriculture Statistics. The committee advises the Secretary on surveys of agriculture and other related surveys; the periodic census of agriculture; and, the types of agricultural information to obtain from respondents. The committee also prepares recommendations regarding the content of agricultural reports and presents the views and needs for data of major suppliers and users of agriculture statistics. The committee draws on the experience and expertise of its members to form a collective judgment concerning agricultural data collected and the statistics issued by the National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS). Thu, 21 Feb 2013 9:30:00 EST http://www.agcensus.usda.gov/Newsroom/2013/02_06_2013.php Farmers and ranchers across the country are heeding the call to have their voices heard and their farms represented in the 2012 Census of Agriculture. With 1.4 million Census forms returned, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is thanking everyone for speaking up for their communities, their industry and their future by sending in their Census form. For those who missed the deadline, USDA reminds producers that their farm is important and needs to be counted. As a result, Census forms are still being accepted. Wed, 06 Feb 2013 13:00:00 EST http://www.agcensus.usda.gov/Newsroom/2013/01_24_2013.php The U.S. Department of Agriculture today announced that producers have two weeks remaining to respond to the 2012 Census of Agriculture. To date, America’s farmers and ranchers are taking action in overwhelming numbers to mail back their completed Agriculture Census forms, submit them online, or call and e-mail for assistance. Thu, 24 Jan 2013 16:25:00 EST http://www.usda.gov/wps/portal/usda/usdahome?navid=LATEST_RELEASES Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack this week continued to remind producers to complete forms for the Census of Agriculture-the only source of uniform, comprehensive and impartial agricultural data for every county in the nation. The 2012 Census of Agriculture will provide the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) with current information to help ensure an abundant, safe, and accessible food supply for all of America. On Monday, Vilsack spoke to thousands of American farmers and ranchers in Nashville, Tenn. The Census of Agriculture, said Vilsack, is one of the most important tools for providing certainty to producers and sustaining the unlimited economic potential of rural America. Thu, 17 Jan 2013 09:15:00 EST http://www.nass.usda.gov/Newsroom/2012/11_29_2012.asp Despite getting off to a very favorable start, U.S. growers spent the summer of 2012 battling historic drought conditions in much of the Midwest. As a result, corn and soybean production, both key U.S. crops, is significantly down in 2012, according to the Crop Production 2012 Annual Summary released today by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS). Fri, 11 Jan 2013 13:15:00 EST http://www.nass.usda.gov/Newsroom/2012/11_29_2012.asp The U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) reminds producers today that the agency is conducting a survey for the 2012 National Resources Inventory (NRI) – Conservation Effects Assessment Project (CEAP) about farming and conservation practices on cultivated cropland in the Des Moines River and Western Lake Erie basins. Producers in these areas have the opportunity to participate in the survey, to help evaluate on-farm conservation programs, which help protect the soil and water within their communities. The survey will help ensure these voluntary programs are successfully maintained and improved when necessary Thu, 29 Nov 2012 11:50:00 EST http://www.nass.usda.gov/Newsroom/2012/11_27_2012.asp USDA's National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) is asking approximately 85,000 producers across the country to respond to important surveys involving corn, soybeans, sorghum, rice, cotton, and hogs. From November 29 to December 17, NASS will be gathering final information about the 2012 U.S. row crops focusing on harvested acreage, as well as crops produced and stored. There will also be a hog survey that will capture current inventory figures. Wed, 28 Nov 2012 15:00:00 EST http://www.nass.usda.gov/Newsroom/2012/10_05_2012.asp United States Department of Agriculture's (USDA) National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) announced today that it is collecting chemical usage data from soybean and wheat growers in 26 states. The information is gathered as part of the Agricultural Resource Management Survey (ARMS), which NASS conducts jointly with the USDA's Economic Research Service (ERS). Fri, 05 Oct 2012 12:00:00 EDT http://www.nass.usda.gov/Newsroom/2012/10_04_2012b.asp U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)-certified organic growers in the United States sold more than $3.5 billion organically grown agricultural commodities in 2011, according to the results of the 2011 Certified Organic Production Survey, released today by USDA's National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS). NASS conducted the survey for USDA's Risk Management Agency to help refine federal crop insurance products for organic producers. Thu, 04 Oct 2012 15:30:00 EDT http://www.nass.usda.gov/Newsroom/2012/10_04_2012.asp In order to streamline operations and to improve statistical services, USDA's National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) has enhanced its Quick Stats 2.0 data query tool and is retiring the Quick Stats 1.0 service on Oct. 30, 2012. All data previously published in that database are now available from the Quick Stats 2.0 database. Thu, 04 Oct 2012 13:00:00 EDT http://www.nass.usda.gov/Newsroom/2012/10_01_2012.asp The National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS), in cooperation with the World Agricultural Outlook Board (WAOB), will hold the 2012 USDA Data Users' Meeting on Monday, October 22, 2012 at 1 p.m. CDT at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Chicago. At this meeting, statistical agencies will update data users on recent and pending changes in the various statistical and information programs important to agriculture and will seek comments and input on these programs. Mon, 01 Oct 2012 15:00:00 EDT http://www.nass.usda.gov/Newsroom/2012/09_28_2012.asp As of September 1, there were 988 million bushels of corn and 169 million bushels of soybeans in storage, according to the quarterly Grain Stocks report released today by the USDA's National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS). By September 1, there were 314 million bushels of corn stored on U.S. farms, down slightly from September 2011. There was a significant decrease in off-farm corn stock. On September 1, off-farm storage facilities held 675 million bushels of corn, down 17 percent from the prior year. The U.S. corn disappearance totaled 2.16 billion bushels during the summer of 2012, down from the disappearance of 2.54 billion bushels during the same time period last year. Fri, 28 Sep 2012 9:00:00 EDT http://www.usda.gov/wps/portal/usda/usdahome?contentid=2012/09/0301.xml&navid=NEWS_RELEASE&navtype=RT&parentnav=LATEST_RELEASES&edeployment_action=retrievecontent The U.S. Department of Agriculture today announced that the National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) and World Agricultural Outlook Board (WAOB) will begin issuing several major USDA statistical reports at 12:00 p.m. EDT beginning in January 2013. The current USDA release time of 8:30 a.m. EDT will remain in effect until January 1, 2013. USDA statistical reports affected are: World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates, Acreage, Crop Production, Grain Stocks, Prospective Plantings, and Small Grains Summary. The time for livestock reports currently released at 3:00 p.m. will not change. Wed, 19 Sep 2012 15:55:00 EDT http://www.nass.usda.gov/Newsroom/2012/08_29_2012.asp USDA's National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) is asking approximately 73,000 producers across the country to respond to some of the most important surveys involving wheat, barley, oats, rye and hogs. From August 30 to September 17, NASS is gathering final information about the 2012 U.S. small grains crops focusing on harvested acreage, crops produced and stored. There will also be a hog survey of current inventories. Wed, 29 Aug 2012 10:00:00 EDT http://www.nass.usda.gov/Newsroom/2012/08_10_2012.asp Affected by one of the worst droughts on record, U.S. corn growers are forecast to harvest 87.4 million acres in 2012, down 2 percent from June estimates, according to the Crop Production report released today by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Agricultural Statistics Service. Fri, 10 Aug 2012 8:55:00 EDT http://www.nass.usda.gov/Newsroom/2012/08_03_2012.asp The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) today released public comments submitted in response to a June 8, 2012, Federal Register Notice announcing an opportunity to comment on the public release time of several major USDA statistical reports. Due to recent changes in market hours by major commodity exchanges, the National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) and World Agricultural Outlook Board (WAOB)—the USDA entities responsible for the reports—are reviewing times and procedures of the following statistical releases: World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates, Acreage, Cattle, Cattle on Feed, Crop Production, Grain Stocks, Prospective Plantings, Quarterly Hogs and Pigs, and Small Grain Summary. Fri, 03 Aug 2012 15:10:00 EDT http://www.nass.usda.gov/Newsroom/2012/08_02_2012.asp Farm production expenditures reached a record-high $318.7 billion in 2011, a 10.2 percent increase over 2010, according to the Farm Production Expenditures 2011 summary released today by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS). Thu, 02 Aug 2012 15:33:00 EDT http://www.nass.usda.gov/Newsroom/2012/07_18_2012.asp The U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) is now seeking nominations for new members to serve on the Advisory Committee on Agricultural Statistics. The Advisory Committee on Agriculture Statistics advises the Secretary of Agriculture on the scope, timing, and informational content to obtain from respondents of the periodic agricultural censuses, surveys of agriculture, and other related industry surveys. Wed, 18 Jul 2012 13:36:00 EDT http://www.nass.usda.gov/Newsroom/2012/06_29_2012.asp U.S. farmers planted 96.4 million acres of corn, up 5 percent from last year, making it the highest corn acreage in the last 75 years, according to the Acreage report released today by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS). This marks the fourth year in a row of increases in corn acreage in the United States. Fri, 29 Jun 2012 9:47:00 EDT http://www.nass.usda.gov/Newsroom/2012/06_08_2012.asp The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is accepting public comment now through July 9, 2012 as part of its review of release times and procedures for several major statistical reports. Due to recent changes in market hours by major commodity exchanges, the National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) and the World Agricultural Outlook Board (WAOB)—the USDA entities responsible for the reports—are reviewing release times and procedures of the following statistical reports: World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates, Acreage, Cattle, Cattle on Feed, Crop Production, Grain Stocks, Prospective Plantings, Quarterly Hogs and Pigs, and Small Grain Summary. The current USDA release times of 8:30 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. ET will remain in effect until further notice. Fri, 08 Jun 2012 9:28:00 EDT http://www.nass.usda.gov/Newsroom/2012/06_07b_2012.asp The U.S. Department of Agriculture is preparing to mail the 2012 Census of Agriculture to millions of U.S. farmers and ranchers in late December. The Census of Agriculture is a complete count of U.S. farms and ranches and the people who operate them. Federal and state agricultural leaders are reminding producers, through a public service announcement campaign, not to miss their opportunity to be counted by signing up for the Census before July 1. Thu, 07 Jun 2012 13:22:00 EDT http://www.nass.usda.gov/Newsroom/2012/06_07_2012.asp The U.S. Department of Agriculture is preparing to mail the 2012 Census of Agriculture to millions of U.S. farmers and ranchers in late December. Producers are reminded not to miss their opportunity to be counted by signing up for the Census before July 1. The Census of Agriculture is a complete count of U.S. farms and ranches and the people who operate them. A farm is defined as any place that produced and sold, or normally would have sold, $1,000 or more of agricultural products during the Census year (2012). Thu, 07 Jun 2012 13:22:00 EDT http://www.nass.usda.gov/Newsroom/2012/06_06_2012.asp USDA's National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) is currently contacting farmers and ranchers across the country to gather information for some of its most important surveys of the year. During the first two weeks of June, NASS is gathering information about U.S. crops and livestock through three simultaneous surveys focusing on agricultural acreage, crops produced and stored, and hog inventory. Wed, 06 Jun 2012 11:22:00 EDT http://www.nass.usda.gov/Newsroom/2012/05_24_2012.asp In recognition of the U.S. Department of Agriculture's 150th Anniversary, the National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) launched an online historical timeline at www.nass.usda.gov. The history provides important information about the advancement of agricultural statistics as well as the background of NASS itself. Agricultural statistics in the United States is documented in NASS's timeline as far back as President George Washington. As an early compiler of U.S. agricultural information, Washington corresponded with land holders asking for information on farmland prices, commodity prices and crop yields. Thur, 24 May 2012 10:20:00 EDT http://www.nass.usda.gov/Newsroom/2012/03_30_2012.asp Driven by favorable prices, U.S. farmers intend to plant 95.9 million acres of corn in 2012, up four percent from 2011, according to the Prospective Plantings report released today by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS). If realized, this will be the largest corn acreage in the United States since 1937, when producers planted 97.2 million acres of corn. Fri, 30 Mar 2012 09:13:00 EDT http://www.nass.usda.gov/Newsroom/2012/03_15_2012.asp The annual meeting of the Advisory Committee on Agriculture Statistics will take place in Washington, D.C. on March 29-30, 2012. The meeting is open to the public and will take place from 8:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. on March 29th, and 7:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. on March 30th at the L'Enfant Plaza Hotel, 480 L'Enfant Plaza SW, Washington, D.C., 20024. There will be an opportunity for public questions and comments at 1:00 p.m. on Friday, March 30th. Thu, 15 Mar 2012 12:37:00 EDT http://www.agcensus.usda.gov/Newsroom/2012/03_08_2012.php In recognition of National Ag Day on March 8, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) calls on America's farmers and ranchers to sign up for the 2012 Census of Agriculture and to share stories about how Census data benefits them. Recognizing the central role of agriculture in Americans lives, USDA wants to make sure it counts all farmers and ranchers in the upcoming Census. USDA's National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) conducts the Census of Agriculture every five years and is currently preparing to send the Census form to all agricultural producers in December. Thu, 08 Mar 2012 11:58:00 EDT http://www.agcensus.usda.gov/Newsroom/2012/03_07_2012.php The National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) is preparing to conduct the 2012 Census of Agriculture later this year. In order to answer any questions farmers, ranchers or agricultural groups and organizations may have about the Census, Renee Picanso, NASS Census and Survey Division Director and Joe Prusacki, NASS Statistics Division Director will conduct a live Q&A session, or "Twitterview," on the NASS Twitter page on Thursday, March 8 from 1 p.m. – 2 p.m. EST. Wed, 07 Mar 2012 10:09:00 EDT http://www.agcensus.usda.gov/Newsroom/2012/02_10_2012.php Surveys are now arriving in mailboxes around the nation to help identify all active farms in the United States. The National Agricultural Classification Survey (NACS), which asks landowners whether or not they are farming and for basic farm information, is one of the most important early steps used to determine who should receive a 2012 Census of Agriculture report form. The Census of Agriculture, conducted every five years by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS), is a complete count of U.S. farms and ranches and the people who operate them. Fri, 10 Feb 2012 11:05:00 EDT http://www.nass.usda.gov/Newsroom/2012/02_03_2012.asp WASHINGTON, Feb. 3, 2012 –The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) today released updates to its online geospatial exploring tool, CropScape. 2011 Cropland Data Layer products, which are derived from satellite image observations at 30-meter (0.22 acres per pixel) resolution, help users visualize how the volatile weather events of 2011 affected cropland in the United States. Fri, 03 Feb 2012 11:00:00 EDT http://www.nass.usda.gov/Newsroom/2012/01_12_2012.asp WASHINGTON, January 12, 2012 – Hindered by unfavorable planting and growing conditions during 2011, U.S. farmers produced a smaller crop than the previous year according to the Crop Production 2011 Summary released today by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS). Thu, 12 Jan 2012 13:30:00 EDT http://www.nass.usda.gov/Newsroom/2011/08_11_2011.asp WASHINGTON, August 11, 2011 – As U.S. farmers are on track to produce the third largest corn crop in history, this summer’s extreme hot and dry conditions across much of the country are hindering soybean, cotton and all wheat production. This is the latest forecast, according to the Crop Production report released today by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS). Thu, 11 Aug 2011 15:00:00 EDT http://www.nass.usda.gov/Newsroom/2011/08_04_2011.asp WASHINGTON, August 4, 2011 – After a brief reprieve in 2009, last year farm production expenditures resumed an upward trend. In 2010, U.S. farmers reported spending $289 billion to produce agricultural products, up from $287.4 billion in the prior year. The Farm Production Expenditures 2010 summary released on Aug. 2 by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) provides national, regional and Crop and Livestock farm expenditures. Thu, 04 Aug 2011 11:30:00 EDT http://www.nass.usda.gov/Newsroom/2011/07_18_2011.asp The U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) announced today the availability of enhanced data on North American agriculture. Published online, the information is a result of a project sponsored by the North American Tripartite Committee on Agricultural Statistics (NATCAS). Mon, 18 Jul 2011 15:15:00 EDT