USDA and National Agricultural Statistics Service officials are reminding producers that Feb. 6 is the deadline to respond to the 2022 Census of Agriculture.

The NASS survey is conducted every five years to provide a complete account of the nation’s farms and ranches and the people who operate them. In December, NASS mailed questionnaires to every known agriculture producer in the United States and Puerto Rico.

Federal law requires a response. NASS is bound by law to keep information from individual operations confidential. Data collected will be used for statistical purposes only. It will be published in aggregate form to prevent identity disclosure.

“By participating in the 2022 Census of Agriculture, producers show the value and importance of American agriculture,” NASS Administrator Hubert Hamer says. “This nation owes a lot to our farmers and ranchers for providing safe and abundant food, feed, fiber, and more. To tell this story, we need to hear from all of our farmers and ranchers, no matter how big or small their part of agriculture. If you have already responded, thank you. If not, I encourage you to respond today.”

According to USDA, the census is the only source of uniform, comprehensive and impartial agriculture data for all U.S. states and territories. It includes information for all U.S. operations that produce and sell, or would normally sell, $1,000 of agricultural products. Puerto Rican operations that sell, or normally would have sold, $500 are also included.

Producers are allowed to respond to the survey online or through the mail. They can verify their reports have been successfully received by going to agcounts.usda.gov, entering their survey codes, and checking the submitted date under the status column of the My Surveys tab. It may take several days for responses to appear in the database. Those who have already submitted their census may disregard any additional letter or forms they have received regarding this.

Results of the 2022 census of agriculture will be released in 2024.

“It is important that every producer respond to the 2022 Census of Agriculture so that they are represented and reflected in these influential data,” Hamer says. “These statistics will directly impact producers for years. Without their input, our hardworking ag producers risk being underserved.”

More information on the census of agriculture may be found at nass.usda.gov/agcensus.