The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) will conduct its end of season surveys for the 2020 fruit and berry production beginning in January 2021. The surveys will collect information about acres, production and prices from more than 2,500 growers in the Northeastern region of the United States.
“The information from these surveys directly impacts our regions’ fruit and berry growers in many positive ways,” said King Whetstone, director of NASS, Northeastern Regional Field Office. “Growers can use the survey results when making business plans and marketing decisions. USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) relies on the average yields and prices to administer farm programs. Cooperative Extension uses the data to provide needed outreach and education, and State Departments and agencies of agriculture use the information to aid growers.”
In these surveys, NASS asks participants to answer a variety of questions about apples, blueberries (wild and tame), raspberries, strawberries, cherries (tart), peaches, and pears; depending on state and version of the questionnaire. For their convenience, survey participants have the option to respond online. As with all NASS surveys, information provided by respondents is confidential by law. NASS safeguards the confidentiality of all responses and publishes only state and national level data, ensuring that no individual producer or operation can be identified.
NASS will compile, analyze, and publish survey results in the May 5, 2021 Noncitrus Fruit and Nuts Report. All previous Noncitrus Fruit and Nuts publications are available online at https://www.nass.usda.gov/Publications. For more information on NASS surveys and reports, call the NASS Northeastern Regional Field Office at (800) 498-1518.
