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HARRISBURG -- The U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) will be conducting the annual Mushroom Inquiry to document the past growing year. All mushroom growers in Maryland and Pennsylvania will be contacted about growing area, production, and value of sales for the 2022-23 season as well as growing intentions for the coming year.
"It is important that all mushroom growers participate in the inquiry so that accurate statistics are published," King Whetstone, NASS Northeastern Regional director, said. "Mushroom statistics are used to help support the industry in many ways and are evidence of the health and well-being of this important commodity."
Growers should receive a questionnaire by early July. Those who do not receive a questionnaire should contact the NASS Northeastern Regional Field Office at (800) 498-1518. Survey respondents are encouraged to use the new Respondent Portal at agcounts.usda.gov.
"We urge grower members to participate in this survey," Rachel Roberts, president of the American Mushroom Institute, said. "American Mushroom uses the data from these reports to educate lawmakers and regulatory agencies about the significance of the mushroom industry on local, federal, and state economies, and help AMI reinforce the significant impact of mushroom businesses when advocating for policies that support the mushroom industry here in the Pennsylvania area and across the country."
The information provided by survey respondents will be used for statistical purposes only. In accordance with federal law, responses will be kept confidential and will not be disclosed in identifiable form.
The data will be published in the annual Mushrooms report to be released on Aug. 25, 2023. These and all NASS reports are available online at www.nass.usda.gov/Publications/. For more information, call the NASS Northeastern Regional Field Office at (800) 498-1518.
USDA to measure northeastern milk production
HARRISBURG -- Thousands of milk producers across the country will receive surveys from the U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) as the agency collects information for the 2023 Milk Production reports.
"The dairy industry is an important component of the Northeast's agriculture, and it is crucial for us to have accurate data about this key sector," King Whetstone, director of the NASS Northeastern Regional Field Office, said.
NASS conducts the Milk Production survey in the region every January, April, July, and October. The survey asks milk producers to provide the number of milk cows in the herd, number of cows milked, and total milk production for the first day of the month.
The dairy industry relies on monthly Milk Production reports to make decisions about the marketing of milk. By participating in the survey, milk producers can ensure that NASS provides timely, accurate and useful data that all sectors of the U.S. dairy industry use to make sound business decisions.
NASS will mail the questionnaires to all producers selected for the survey in late June. To ensure all survey participants have an opportunity to respond, NASS interviewers will contact producers who do not respond by mail or online to conduct interviews.
NASS safeguards the privacy of all respondents and publishes only aggregate data, ensuring that no individual operation or producer can be identified.
Survey results will be published in the Milk Production report to be released on July 20, 2023. These and all NASS reports are available online at nass.usda.gov/Publications. For more information, call the NASS Northeastern Regional Field Office at (800) 498-1518.