NASS Sheep and Goats Survey Underway

January 5, 2006 - The U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) is preparing its January Sheep and Goats Inventory Report. NASS will release the report early next month.

The sheep and goat survey is conducted each January and July. The January survey covers all sized operations in the United States with producers being contacted in the first two weeks of the year.

Chief of the NASS livestock branch, Dan Kerestes, says many producers in 48 states can expect to receive a request for information. The majority of the contacts are completed through telephone interviews; however, some of the data is also collected through mailed questionnaires and personal interviews.

Regardless of how the producers supply the information, Kerestes says, participates are providing an important service to the sheep and goat industries and to U.S. agriculture as a whole. Once the information is gathered, NASS uses the data to identify trends in inventories and operations, providing a comprehensive state of the U.S. sheep and goat production systems.

The information colleted is used in the development of two different reports. The Sheep and Goats Report provides information on total inventory as well as breeding and market sheep and lambs. Wool production is also included in the January report.

The other report producers will have access to on Feb. 2 is Farms, Land in Farms and Livestock Operations. The total number of livestock operations is reported here along with a breakdown of how many operations have specific livestock.

NASS reminds producers that any information provided is kept confidential.

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