RICHMOND—Farmers are lagging behind in filling out the 2017 Census of Agriculture.

“Currently the response from the farmers’ returns are trending below the previous census,” said Herman Ellison, state statistician for the National Agricultural Statistics Service. The deadline for the current census is Feb. 5.

“The census is the only source of uniform, comprehensive and impartial data for every county in the nation. This data is widely used, often relied on when developing the farm bill and other farm policy, and when making decisions about disaster relief, community planning, technology development and more,” Ellison explained.

After the February deadline, NASS will follow up with additional mailings, emails and phone calls, as well as personal appointments. To avoid these additional contacts, farmers and ranchers need to fill out the census form as soon as possible.

For questions regarding the 2017 Census of Agriculture, contact Ellison at 804-771-8560 or herman.ellison@nass.usda.gov.