The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) is reminding hog producers nationwide to keep an eye out for the quarterly Hogs and Pigs Survey in late August. This important quarterly survey will gather detailed data on market hog and breeding stock inventories as well as farrowing intentions.
“The data gathered allow NASS to accurately measure and report conditions and trends in the U.S. pork industry over the course of the year,” said Chris Messer, Director of the NASS Pacific Regional Office. “The survey results are used by producers and all sectors of the industry to make strategic business decisions and guide investments,” said Messer.
NASS will mail the questionnaires to hog producers selected for the survey in late August. All hog and pig producers in California have a chance of being selected for this survey. Last year, NASS collected data from 76 percent of the national sample. It is important that California producers respond so they are reflected in the national totals.
Producers who receive the survey questionnaire in the mail can respond online, by mail or fax. Producers who don’t respond in one of those ways will have the opportunity for a telephone or in-person interview. As with all NASS surveys, information provided by respondents is confidential by law. NASS publishes only aggregated data, ensuring that no individual producer or operation can be identified.
The survey results are published in the Quarterly Hogs and Pigs report on September 30. All NASS reports are available online at www.nass.usda.gov/Publications/Reports_by_Release_Day/. For more information, call the NASS Pacific Regional Office at 1-800-851-1127.