VA: COLLECTION OF FINAL 2009 CROP PRODUCTION NUMBERS

News Date November 10, 2009

Data from the report will assist farmers as they plan for next growing season

The Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services announced today that the USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) will be contacting producers nationwide soon to gather final year-end production numbers. With Virginia corn and soybean production forecasted to be greater than last year, it is especially important for producers to report. Data from the survey will benefit farmers by providing timely and accurate information to help them make critical year-end business decisions and begin planning for the next growing season.

Accurate indications of final production are crucial for producers when formulating their market plans. “The December Agricultural Survey, also known as the Crops/Stocks Survey, is the largest and most critical year-end survey conducted by NASS,” explained Herman Ellison, director of the NASS Virginia Field Office. “This survey is the basis for the official USDA estimates of production and harvested acres of all major agricultural commodities in the United States.

During the first two weeks of December, NASS will contact selected Virginia producers by mail or telephone and ask them to provide information on their 2009 production and on-farm stocks of corn, soybeans, wheat, barley and oats. The information will be compiled and analyzed and then published in a series of USDA reports, including the annual Crop Production summary and quarterly Grain Stocks report, both to be released on January 12, 2010.

As with all NASS surveys, information provided by respondents is confidential by law. “NASS safeguards the confidentiality of all responses and publishes only state- and national level data, ensuring that no individual operation or producer can be identified,” stated Ellison.

All reports are available on the NASS web site: www.nass.usda.gov. (Contact: Elaine Lidholm, Elaine.Lidholm@vdacs.virginia.gov)