This September, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) is diving deep into the small grains industry. These grains include household staples such as wheat, oats, barley, and rye.
Erik Gerlach, NASS South Dakota State Statistician, emphasizes the industry's importance and the need for accurate data. By reaching out to more than 2,300 South Dakota producers, the agency aims to capture accurate measurements of 2023's acreage, yield, and production figures.
The survey’s data will also be instrumental in calculating county yields. USDA employs this granular county yield data to strategize and implement effective farm disaster mitigation plans. Gerlach encourages farmers who receive the survey to actively participate, ensuring a precise representation of their county.
All the insights gained from this comprehensive survey will contribute to shaping small grain acreage, yield, and production estimates on a county level. Farmers and stakeholders can expect these details to be available by December in NASS’s Quick Stats database.
Gerlach assures that NASS is committed to maintaining the confidentiality of the respondents. Only aggregate data will see the light of day, preserving the anonymity of individual producers.
He acknowledges the demanding schedules of farmers and ranchers, emphasizing the survey's significance. The collated data aids in making informed decisions on farms, influencing federal farm programs, and guiding the markets.
NASS will make these survey results public through various reports. Notably, the annual Small Grains Summary and the quarterly Grain Stocks report will be available by September 29, 2023.
The data will feed into USDA’s World Agricultural Outlook Board’s monthly estimates. All these insights will be accessible at www.nass.usda.gov.
Photo Credit: gettyimages-sveta
Categories: South Dakota, Crops