2017 Census

2017 Census

David Sparks Ph.D.
David Sparks Ph.D.
The most ambitious and important agricultural survey of all is getting underway as the 2017 Census of Agriculture literally reaches out to every farmer and rancher in the United States. Questionnaires are being mailed out over the next several weeks to more than 3 million agricultural producers as part of the census taken every five years.

Dave Losh is state statistician in Oregon for USDA's National Agricultural Statistics Service, the agency tasked with this massive survey. "It's really the only and best source of county-level data across Oregon and nationally that measurers the change since we did this last time five years ago."

Producers big and small will be asked to respond to the questionnaire, which asks questions about crops, livestock, demographics, and economics: "Some of the types of questions that will be asked in the 2017 census will be typical acreage, yield, production, but we also ask expenses to try and see how the income balances out with the expenses producers are incurring."

That information helps identify what ag sectors are undergoing financial stress. But most importantly, the data gathered by the census helps policy makers who make important and informed decisions affecting agriculture. Good data supports many of the programs that help all farmers and ranchers. That's why it's important for all ag producers to complete the census by the deadline of February 5th, 2018.

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