Say you’re reading an article in Florida Grower magazine or on GrowingProduce.com and the author states there are more than 47,000 farms in Florida. Or there were 10,100 acres of cabbage planted in Florida in the 2008-2009 season. Or that Florida citrus growers expect to produce 146,000 boxes of oranges this season. You might wonder where those statistics come from. There’s a good chance they come from the Florida Agricultural Statistics Service (FASS), an agency of the USDA working in cooperation with the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS). The statistics come from a variety of surveys conducted by FASS, asking growers to report what they produce and how much.
FASS collects data using mail, telephone, and face-to-face interviews with farmers and ranchers across Florida. One survey might ask about total acres operated, acres planted to a specific crop, and the number of acres for harvest. Another might ask about expected yield or production for the season. A cattle survey will include total number of head and, in some cases, a breakdown by type, by weight class, etc. Once all the data is collected it is reviewed, analyzed, and summarized it into a final report.
Counting Citrus And Other Things
Because Florida produces approximately 70% of the oranges and grapefruit in the U.S., surveys conducted for citrus are more extensive. For the Commercial Citrus Tree Inventory, field crews visit citrus groves across Florida’s citrus producing areas to determine the total number of citrus trees (bearing and non-bearing). Another survey conducted in late summer provides data on fruit per tree. From September through the end of the growing season, field crews measure the size of the fruit and the amount of fruit dropping from the trees prior to harvest. All of this survey data goes into statistical models used to forecast the expected production.
The surveys conducted by FASS are not limited to crop production and livestock inventories. Other surveys include a Chemical Use Survey, an Agricultural Resource Management Survey, an Organic Production Survey, and a Farm Labor Survey. FASS also publishes a weekly report summarizing the previous week’s weather along with the progress or status of various crops and livestock.
Every five years, USDA/FASS conducts the Census of Agriculture to obtain a complete count every farm and ranch in the state, along with information on agricultural production, farm economics, and demographic information on farmers and ranchers. Data from the census is summarized and published at the county level, providing accurate and unbiased statistical information to state and local governments, producer organizations, university researchers, individual producers, and others.
Survey Says
Producers selected for these surveys might, understandably, be concerned about the security and confidentiality of the data they are asked to provide. USDA and FASS have very stringent laws and procedures that protect the confidentiality of any and all information farmers and ranchers report in these surveys. No individual information is ever reported or released. It is used only in combination with other reports to produce estimates at either the county or state level.
Producers also might wonder about the importance of these surveys. Good business decisions are based on accurate and unbiased information. USDA statistics provide buyers and sellers of agricultural commodities with the same data at the same time. No one individual or organization has an advantage. The reports and the unbiased statistics in them level the playing field for all involved. Many of the economic outlooks and forecasts made by agricultural organizations or universities, and used by farmers and ranchers to make planting and/or marketing decisions, are based on USDA statistics.
Some FASS reports are published annually, some quarterly, and some monthly. There are a couple of weekly reports. The release dates for all FASS reports are planned in advance and are published in a release calendar available from the agency. All are available free of charge to the public and can be downloaded directly from the FASS website.
Jeff Geuder is the director of USDA's Florida Agricultural Statistics Service in Maitland, FL.
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March 17, 2011 