Agriculture census countdown begins

Farmers and ranchers in New Mexico will soon get the opportunity to have their voices heard by taking part in the 2012 Census of Agriculture. Conducted every five years by the USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service, the census is a complete count of all U.S. farms and ranches of all shapes and sizes, as well as the people who operate them.

“The census remains the only source of uniform, comprehensive agricultural data for every county in the nation,” said Longino Bustillos, acting director of National Agricultural Statistics Service’s New Mexico Field Office. “It’s a critical tool that gives farmers and ranchers a voice to influence decisions that will shape the future of their community, industry, and operation.”

The census looks at land use and ownership, farmer/rancher demographics, production practices, income, expenditures, and other topics. This information is used by a variety of entities that serve farmers and ranchers and rural communities, including everything from federal, state, and local governments to agribusinesses and trade associations. For example, legislators use the data when shaping farm policy, while agribusinesses factor it into their planning efforts.

“This year’s census is very important, especially given the toll that drought and the high cost of inputs have taken on the state’s farmers and ranchers over the last few years,” said New Mexico Secretary of Agriculture Jeff Witte. “That’s all the more reason for the state’s agricultural producers to be counted so that we get an accurate snapshot of New Mexico agriculture.”

The last Census of Agriculture was conducted in 2007. That year, almost 21,000 farms and ranches were counted in New Mexico reporting over 43 million acres. The 2007 count was 38 percent more than the previous census in 2002 as more producers realize the importance of completing the census. The average age of New Mexico’s farm and ranch operators in 2007 was 59.6 years old, compared to 56.4 years in 2002. This telling information and thousands of other statistics are only available every five years as a direct result of farmer and ranchers responses to the census.

National Agricultural Statistics Service will mail out census forms next week to collect data for the 2012 calendar year. Completed forms are due to the USDA by February 4, 2013. Farmers and ranchers can fill out the census online via a secure website, www.agcensus.usda.gov, or return their form by mail. Federal law requires all agricultural producers to participate in the census and requires the Statistics Service to keep all individual information confidential.

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