Crop Insurance for Small Grains

Concord, New Hampshire – During the first two weeks of September,  the New England Field Office of USDA’s National Agricultural  Statistics Service (NASS) will contact more than 250 producers in  Maine as part of the September Agricultural Survey, also known as  the Crops/Stocks Survey. Results will provide the basis for  official USDA estimates of 2009 acreage, yield and production for  small grains.

“This is one of the most important surveys NASS conducts  each year,” explained Gary Keough director of the NASS New  England Field Office. “Not only will we be gathering final data  on 2009 small grains production, but we’ll also be collecting  information on quantities of grains and oilseeds stored on farms  statewide. 

  “Data from the September Agricultural Survey benefits  farmers by providing timely and accurate information to help them  make critical year-end business decisions and evaluate the  success of the growing season,” added Keough.

NASS will contact selected Maine producers by mail or  telephone and ask them to provide information on their 2009  production and on-farm stocks of oats and barley. As with all  NASS surveys, information provided by respondents is confidential  by law.

“NASS safeguards the privacy of all responses and  publishes only state- and national-level data, ensuring that no  individual operation or producer can be identified,” Keough said.

Survey results will be published in several reports,  including the annual Small Grains summary and the quarterly Grain  Stocks report, both to be released on September 30. These and all  NASS reports are available on the agency’s web site:  www.nass.usda.gov. For more information on NASS surveys and reports,  call the NASS New England Field Office at 1-800-642-9571.

Courtesy of New England Agricultural Review  A field office of the National Agricultural Statistics Service, United States Department of Agriculture.  Gary Keough, Director.    http://www.nass.usda.gov/nh/,