USDA NASS Conducting Certified Organic Survey

The Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service is conducting the 2016 Certified Organic Survey to gather data on organic crops and livestock in the United States. USDA says the survey is critical to help determine the economic impact of certified organic agriculture production in the United States. The survey is being mailed to all known certified organic farms and ranches throughout the country and asks producers to provide information on acreage, production, and sales, as well as production and marketing practices. USDA NASS says certified organic sales totaled $6.2 billion in 2015, up 14 percent from 2014. A USDA spokesperson says as sales grow, so will the demand for accurate data. The report, to be released September of this year, will also assist producers, suppliers and others in the private sector in planning the production and marketing of new products. All information in the survey is confidential, and USDA is asking producers to return the survey by February 19th.