Still Time News Release

		NEWS RELEASE
		NATIONAL AGRICULTURAL STATISTICS SERVICE
		United States Department of Agriculture • Washington, DC 20250
		Ag Statistics Hotline: (800) 727-9540 • www.nass.usda.gov
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE			Contact:		[email protected]

Still time to respond to the 2023 Irrigation and Water Management Survey

USDA to follow up with producers who have not yet responded

WASHINGTON, Feb. 15, 2024 – Farmers and ranchers still have time to be counted in the 2023 Irrigation and Water Management survey, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS). Although the deadline for submitting your survey has just passed, NASS will continue to accept completed questionnaires through the spring to ensure all farmers and ranchers take advantage of the opportunity to be represented in the widely used data.

"We thank everyone who has completed their census to date. Since data collection began last fall, over a XXX survey recipients across the country have returned their questionnaires, ensuring their operations and communities are represented,” said NASS Administrator Hubert Hamer. "We want all producers to use their voices to help shape the future of American agriculture. This data inform decisions about policy, farm and conservation programs, infrastructure and rural development, research, education, and more. The stronger the response, the stronger the data. It’s not too late for farmers to be heard through the Irrigation and Water Management survey, which occurs only once every five years."

NASS will continue to follow up with producers through the spring with mailings, phone calls, and personal visits. Farmers and ranchers are encouraged to complete their survey either online at agcounts.usda.gov or by mail as soon as possible. The online questionnaire is accessible on desktop, laptop, and other mobile devices.

Federal law under Title 7 USC 2204(g) Public Law 105-113 mandates that everyone who received the 2023 Irrigation and Water Management questionnaire complete and return it, even if they are not currently farming. The same law requires NASS to keep all submissions confidential, use the information for statistical purposes only, and publish aggregate data to prevent disclosing the identity of any individual producer or farm operation.

NASS will release the results of the Irrigation and Water Management survey in November of 2024. To learn more about the Irrigation and Water Management survey, visit nass.usda.gov/AgCensus. On the website, producers and other data users can access frequently asked questions, past ag census data, other special study information, and more. For highlights of these and the latest information, follow USDA NASS on Twitter at @usda_nass.

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NASS is the federal statistical agency responsible for producing official data about U.S. agriculture and is committed to providing timely, accurate, and useful statistics in service to U.S. agriculture.

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