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Consider investing time answering ag surveys. It won’t be a wasted effort.
by Allison Jenkins, Today's Farmer Editor
Asked to take an ag survey? Make it count.
A phone call that inevitably interrupts dinner. An envelope forgotten in a stack of mail. A message buried among hundreds of other inbox emails.
Hearing from the USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) is common for producers across the country. But hearing from those farmers in return is becoming less common for NASS. A recent study by the American Statistical Asso- ciation warned the reliability of U.S. economic data—including important agricultural information—could be at risk due in part to declining survey responses.
Consider these numbers, compiled by agweb.com. In the early 1990s, response rates for NASS crop surveys were 80% to 85%. By the late 2010s, response rates had fallen below 60% in some cases. The most recent Census of Agriculture in 2022 had a response rate of 61% compared to 71.5% in 2017. For monthly NASS surveys, response rates are around 75%, but only 50-60% for quarterly or annual surveys.
Honestly, that’s not bad. Researchers say any survey response above 50% is good, so overall rates remain strong at NASS compared to other entities conducting this type of work. That’s a testament to the time farmers commit to NASS efforts, and it also means the agency is still capturing plenty of data to generate reliable information—for now.
But if responses continue to decrease, so will the statistical accuracy. With smaller sample sizes, there’s a greater chance the results won’t be representative of the target group, especially when it comes to county-level data.
Why aren’t producers completing surveys like they used to? Fewer landlines and more cell phones make it increasingly difficult to reach farming households. The evolution in telephone technology is more to blame than a rise in refusals, according to NASS. Concerns about data privacy and time constraints also factor into lower response rates.
“Next time you receive a phone call, letter or email about an NASS survey, take a few moments to answer the questions. It won’t be a wasted effort.”
To help reverse this trend, USDA is offering online response options, using shorter questionnaires, adjusting survey methods and increasing follow-up efforts. The agency is also ramping up outreach to remind farmers of the data’s importance and confidentiality. So why does it matter? The NASS conducts hundreds of surveys each year and reports on nearly every aspect of U.S. agriculture, from production and prices to farm demographics and much more. This data is used in regulations, research and agricultural planning. It’s referenced by farmers to make business decisions, by legislators to develop farm policy, by journalists to tell stories, by students to do research, by commodity traders to make market moves and by USDA for program payments.
Next time you receive a phone call, letter or email about an NASS survey, take a few moments to answer the questions. It won’t be a wasted effort. More responses make the data more accurate, and that can lead to better decisions, better policy and a better picture of U.S. agriculture. The quarterly agricultural survey is coming up in September, and monthly yield surveys continue through November. If you get an opportunity to participate, make it count.
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