The federal agriculture department – USDA – is currently conducting a new nationwide Certified Organic Survey to help determine the economic impact of U.S. certified organic agricultural production.

The voluntary survey asks producers at certified organic farms and ranches to provide details on their production, sales, acreage, and more.

Producers can either mail the completed survey or complete it online at www.agcounts.usda.gov. The deadline for submission is Feb. 19.

According to Adam Cline of the USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS), “U.S. farms and ranches have experienced tremendous growth in certified organic agriculture sales.”

Last year, NASS reported U.S. certified organic producers sold $6.2 billion in products in 2015, a 13 percent increase from 2014.

Cline adds, “This survey will be another step forward by USDA in its commitment to helping certified organic agriculture thrive and will ensure that future decisions impacting the industry stem from factual information.”

Real-time data is important, NASS says, since business and policy makers use the data to make important decisions: for example for USDA’s Risk Management Agency to evaluate crop insurance coverage to help provide adequate (premium) pricing for organic producers.

NASS plans to release the 2016 survey findings this September. Cline says information submitted by growers is confidential by law.

Click here for more information on the 2016 Certified Organic Survey.