The National Agricultural Statistics Service is preparing for the 2020 planting season by sending out the Agricultural Survey that asks farmers about planting intentions. At the same time, they’ll also send out the Hogs & Pigs Survey, asking producers about market hog and breeding stock inventories, as well as pig crop and farrowing intentions for 2020.
Lance Honig, Chief of Crops Branch at the National Ag Statistics Service, says they’re a couple of the agency’s most important reports.
Honig talks about how NASS goes about collecting the data.
Producers who haven’t filled out the survey information will receive either a follow-up phone call or in some cases, will get a personal visit to see if they need help. Honig says the people or agencies that use the information collected are those who make decisions about agriculture.
The results of these surveys will be available in the Quarterly Hogs and Pigs Report will be released on March 26, followed by the Prospective Plantings report on March 31. He says NASS can only produce solid information in these surveys with the help of producers who take the time to fill out their responses.
It’s important to remember that the results of these surveys will be kept confidential and will be available in aggregate form only, ensuring that no individual operation or producer can be identified, as required by federal law.
