The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) will survey producers in 32 states, including Nebraska, for its 2023 County Agricultural Production Survey (CAPS) for small grains.

The survey will collect information on total acres planted and harvested, and yield and production of small grains crops down to the county level. CAPS will provide the data needed to estimate acreage and production of selected crops such as barley, oats and wheat in the United States.

“The data provided will help federal and state programs support the farmer,” said Nicholas Streff, Director of the NASS Northern Plains Regional Field Office. “I hope every producer understands the importance of these data and will take the time to respond, if they receive this survey. Producers can lose out when there are no data to determine accurate rates for loans, disaster payments, crop insurance price elections, and more. Without data, agencies such as USDA’s Risk Management Agency and Farm Service Agency do not have information on which to base the programs that serve those same producers.”

Farmers are encouraged to respond online, by mail or fax. Nebraska producers who do not respond in the next few weeks may be emailed a reminder or contacted for an interview to complete the survey.

NASS safeguards the privacy of all respondents and publishes only aggregate data, ensuring that no individual operation or producer can be identified, as required by federal law.

The CAPS data will be published in NASS’s Quick Stats database at 3 p.m. EDT on Friday, Dec. 15, 2023. For more information on NASS surveys and reports, call the NASS Northern Plains Regional Field Office at (800) 582-6443.