SPRINGFIELD — In January, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) will survey more than 40,000 cattle operations nationwide, about 900 in Illinois, to provide an up-to-date measure of U.S. cattle inventories.
“This information helps producers make timely, informed business decisions such as planning for herd expansion or reduction. It also helps packers and government leaders evaluate expected slaughter volume for future months and determine potential supplies for export,” said Mark Schleusener, Illinois State Statistician. “Obtaining the current count of cattle will serve as an important decision-making tool for the entire agricultural industry.”
During the first two weeks of January, producers will have the opportunity to report their beef and dairy cattle inventories, calf crop, death loss and cattle on feed inventory. To make it as easy as possible for producers to participate in the survey, NASS offers the options of responding via the internet, telephone or mail.
As with all NASS surveys, information provided by respondents is confidential, as required by federal law. NASS safeguards the privacy of all responses and publishes only aggregate data, ensuring that no individual operation or producer can be identified. All NASS reports are available online at www.nass.usda.gov/Publications/. For more information, call the NASS Heartland Regional Field Office at 800-551-1014.
