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USDA to collect final 2018 crop production and crop stocks data

Delaware Public Media
As the 2018 growing season comes to an end, the U-S Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) is contacting Delaware farmers for final, year-end crop production numbers.";

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) is surveying First State farmers this month.

 

This latest survey is gathering final, year-end crop production numbers.

 

“Every year...actually throughout the year, we collect information from farmers that deal with what they’re growing, as far as their acreage yield and production. And than at the end of the year, for our December survey, we collect information concerning hopefully their yields that they’ve gotten. Although this year we’ve had a rainy season; they might still be out harvesting some of their crops - like corn and soybeans,”said Dale Hawks, a NASS Delaware state statistician.

Hawks says there are currently 2,500 farmers in Delaware. He says only a sample will be surveyed - with an estimated 300 receiving calls.

 

“It’s actually a sample of farmers surveyed; it will not be every farmer in Delaware that we’ll be contacting. But it will be a sample of those that we’ve been collecting information throughout the year. And they grow corn and soybeans; they also have some wheat and barley that they actually grow as well. That’s in combination with some vegetables,” said Hawks.

Hawks says data collected from the survey benefits farmers by providing timely and accurate information to help them make critical year-end business decisions and begin planning for next spring’s growing season.

Survey results will be available January 11, 2019.

 

All NASS reports are available online. A 2017 State agriculture overview is here.

 

Kelli Steele has over 30 years of experience covering news in Delaware, Baltimore, Winchester, Virginia, Phoenix, Arizona and San Diego, California.