Last winter, the USDA gave balky farmers and ranchers five additional months to fill out their Census of Agriculture forms because of a lower than desired response rate. The last chance to participate is arriving for the census that provides the most comprehensive picture of the farm sector, said the USDA on Monday.
USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service said June 15 is the deadline for producers to return their questionnaires by mail while they can file via the internet through the end of July. Phone follow-up and personal interviews will also continue through July. The Census of Agriculture is conducted every five years and the 2017 Census is to be published in February 2019.
After the first deadline for replies passed last February, NASS administrator Hubert Hamer said 40 percent of the 3 million questionnaires had been returned. At the end of April, more than 1.5 million responses were in USDA’s hands “but the national return rate is currently lower than at this point in the 2012 Census,” said USDA, so it was beginning follow-up efforts, such as calling farmers.
“If they (producers) aren’t represented in these critical data, they risk being underserved in farm programs, disaster assistance, agricultural research, education, local policies, and business; it is imperative that we hear from everyone,” said Hamer.
USDA has grappled in recent years with declining participation rates in its surveys, which play a significant role in federal estimates of farm production, income, and operations.