WASHINGTON — The 2019 Census of Horticultural Specialties and the 2019 Organic Survey are both underway now and the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) is asking those who receive questionnaires to respond quickly and online if possible. Responding online is user friendly, accessible on most electronic devices, and saves valuable time by calculating totals and automatically skipping questions not applicable to an operation.

“Horticulture and organic agriculture are important segments of U.S. agriculture and our economy,” said NASS Administrator Hubert Hamer. “When producers respond to these surveys they are helping associations, businesses, and policymakers advocate for their industry, influence program decisions, and educate others about the importance of these parts of agriculture.”

2019 Census of Horticultural Specialties is conducted once every 5 years to provide a comprehensive picture of U.S. horticulture. NASS mailed unique survey codes earlier in December to more than 40,000 producers who self-reported horticultural activity in the 2017 Census of Agriculture. Each producer can use the code to respond more quickly and easily online. Alternately, he or she can fill out the paper questionnaire and return it by mail. The deadline for response is Feb. 5, 2020. Results, including production and sales data for U.S. floriculture, nursery, specialty crop industries, and greenhouse food crops, will be available December 2020. NASS conducted the last Census of Horticulture in 2014 when 23,221 operations reported $13.8 billion in sales. For more www.nass.usda.gov/go/hortinformation, visit www.nass.usda.gov/go/hort.

2019 Organic Survey asks more than 22,000 U.S. producers involved in certified or transitioning organic farming for information about their 2019 production, marketing practices, income, and expenses. NASS recently mailed unique survey codes to approximately 22,000 U.S. producers who self-reported organic farming in the 2017 Census of Agriculture. Each producer can use the code to respond more quickly and easily online. Alternately, he or she can fill out the paper questionnaire and return it by mail. The deadline for response is Jan. 10, 2020. Results will be available in October 2020. For more information, visit www.nass.usda.gov/Surveys/Guide_to_NASS_Surveys/Organic_Production. According to the last Organic Survey related to the Census of Agriculture, 14,093 certified or exempt farms reported $5.5 billion in sales in 2014.

Producers who receive the 2019 Census of Horticultural Specialties or the Organic Survey are required to respond by federal law (Title 7 USC 2204(g) Public Law 105-113), as these surveys are part of the Census of Agriculture program. The same federal law that requires response also requires NASS to keep all individual information confidential.

–USDA NASS

For more articles concerning the organic industry, click here.