USDA Releases Census of Agriculture State and County Profiles

New NASS Census data provides agriculture data by state and county, helping farmers and ranchers plan for the future.
New NASS Census data provides agriculture data by state and county, helping farmers and ranchers plan for the future.

According to a recent news release, the United States Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) has published new 2012 Census of Agriculture profiles which provide data snapshots on a state and county scale.

The profiles include valuable data for all 50 states, Puerto Rico, and more than 3,000 counties in the nation, highlighting a variety of data points to provide a general picture of agriculture on a local level. Some of the key data points covered in the profiles include general farm statistics, market value of products sold, top crop and livestock items, and more.

NASS Administrator Joseph T. Reilly, said about the data in the release, “The state and county profiles provide snapshots of agriculture by highlighting key data from the recently released 2012 Census of Agriculture. Census information is heavily relied on at the local level and is an excellent resource for anyone searching for data about farmers and agriculture production in their community.”

This release is the first in a series of products that the NASS will publish following the May 2 launch of the census. NASS is expected to release new tools that will highlight more than 6 million data points captured in the census. As Reilly pointed out, “Next up this summer are the 2012 Congressional District Profiles and Rankings, which will provide insight into agriculture of particular interest to advocates and policymakers.”

With the release of this information, the USDA hopes those interested will be able to more easily access pertinent agriculture data on a localized level.