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HARRISBURG -- The United States Department of Agriculture's (USDA) National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) will release the 2022 Census of Agriculture data on Feb. 13, 2024. NASS concluded the data collection this summer with a preliminary national return rate of 61%. The preliminary return rate in Pennsylvania is 63%. The ag census, conducted once every five years, was mailed to more than 66,000 producers across Pennsylvania late last year. NASS plans to release the data from the 2022 Puerto Rico Census of Agriculture in summer 2024. Early next year, NASS will conduct the Census of Agriculture in the U.S. territories of American Samoa, Guam, Northern Mariana Islands, and U.S. Virgin Islands.
"Thank you to the farmers and ranchers in Pennsylvania who responded," said NASS Northeastern Regional Deputy Director Charles Butler. "The data collected in the Ag Census provides a picture of the current state of agriculture and rural America and is used to make decisions that impact our farmers, ranchers, communities, and businesses. The data cover categories that are important to the agricultural industry, and make it possible to compare national, state, and county level statistics."
The ag census data will be available at nass.usda.gov/AgCensus and in NASS's searchable database, Quick Stats. Publication dates for the various ag census data products can be found on NASS's online 2024 Agricultural Statistics Board Calendar. Like all NASS data, ag census data will be available in aggregate form only, ensuring that no individual operation or producer can be identified, as required by federal law.
In addition to the U.S. territory ag census data collection, two ag census special studies that will provide more in-depth information on certain industries will be conducted this fall and winter: the 2023 Census of Aquaculture and the 2023 Irrigation and Water Management Survey. These questionnaires will be mailed to the producers who reported these activities in the 2022 Census of Agriculture. For more information about these upcoming special studies, visit nass.usda.gov/AgCensus.
The Census of Agriculture provides the only source of impartial and comprehensive agricultural data for every state and county in the nation. Watch for additional news about the ag census at @usda_nass on X (formerly known as Twitter).