| NOVEMBER 17, 2011 -- Agricultural producers in New England will be asked to help with an important project this winter. The 2012 Agricultural Land Values Survey will be conducted by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) during January and February of 2012. Land value data will be combined with information collected during the 2012 June Agricultural Survey, also conducted by NASS.
Agricultural land values are one of the major indicators of the financial health of the agricultural sector. The value of land and buildings accounts for over 80 percent of all farm assets. Accurate land values are necessary for Federal and State deliberations on farm programs, for lending agencies, and for individual producers to determine their net worth. "Green space is an important issue in New England," explained Gary Keough, director of the NASS New England Field Office. "Programs that promote land preservation need accurate land values."
As with all NASS surveys, information provided by respondents is confidential by law. NASS safeguards the confidentiality of all responses, ensuring that no individual producer or operation can be identified.
NASS will publish the 2012 Land Values Summary with State and national estimates on August 3, 2012. This and all NASS reports are available online at: www.nass.usda.gov. For more information on NASS surveys and reports, call the NASS New England Field Office at 800-642-9571. |
