View from the Cab: The time nears
With the end of February upon us, planting season will be here in no time.
This sounds crazy but it’s true. In a matter of weeks, we will be out there putting this year’s corn and soybean crops in the ground. Before heading out to the field, you may be contacted by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service asking about plans for the upcoming season.
The March Agricultural Survey provides factual data which makes it one of the most important surveys conducted each year. NASS will mails the survey questionnaire this month asking producers to provide information about the types of crops they intend to plant in 2020, how many acres they intend to plant and the amounts of grain and oilseed stored on their farms.
Farmers are encouraged to respond online or via mail. Those who do not respond by the deadline may be contacted for a telephone or personal interview.
“Each year, the agriculture industry eagerly awaits USDA’s Prospective Plantings report which provides the first survey-based estimates of U.S. farmers’ planting intentions for the year,” said NASS’ Illinois State Statistician Mark Schleusener.
No individual operation or producer can be identified as NASS safeguards the privacy of all respondents and publishes only aggregate data. Survey results are published in the Prospective Plantings and Quarterly Grain Stocks report to be released March 31.
These and all NASS reports are available online at www.nass.usda.gov/Publications. For more information, contact the Heartland Regional Field Office at 800-551-1014.
Don’t forget you still have time to register for the Central Illinois Farm Network’s 2020 Ag Outlook Meeting planned for Thursday, Mar. 12 at the Asmark Center in Bloomington starting with a free dinner at 5:30 p.m. followed by the market panel discussion. Merrill Crowley, Ellen Dearden and Dale Durchholz will talk about the markets and provide an outlook for the coming season. Reserve your spot by calling 217-530-3107.
The big Illinois Public Media All Day Ag Outlook Meeting is coming up next week at the Beef House. We always look forward to the daylong event and hope to learn a thing or two about where corn and soybean prices may go here in 2020.
(The View from the Cab is powered each week by Petersen Chevy-Buick in Fairbury)
