USDA To Survey Iowa Cattle Operations
US - The US Department of Agriculture is calling on nearly 50,000 cattle operations nationwide to report the latest and most accurate data on cattle inventories and calf production.
23 December 2010
2 minute read
"The January Cattle Survey provides Iowa producers the opportunity to serve as the frontline source of data on cattle" says Greg Thessen director of the Iowa office of USDA's National Agricultural Statistics Service.
"In Iowa, we'll be contacting about 2,200 operations in order to measure trends in beef and dairy cattle inventories, calf crop and the total number of cattle on feed in the state," says Mr Thessen. To make it as easy as possible for producers to participate, NASS offers the option of responding via telephone, mail, online or personal interview with a local NASS representative.
"However these selected producers choose to respond, by participating in our survey they are providing an important service to the cattle industry and to US agriculture as a whole," says Mr Thessen. "Their responses will be compiled with those of their fellow producers nationwide, providing the only accurate and comprehensive estimate of the state of US cattle production."
The information is a critical decision-making tool for the cattle industry, he emphasises. "For instance, the information gathered by the survey helps producers make informed marketing decisions and plan for herd expansion or reduction. It also provides facts to help promote the entire cattle industry and helps packers and exporters evaluate expected slaughter volume for future months and determine potential supplies for export."
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