NASS

NASS, the National Agricultural Statistics Service, is the statistical arm of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). It collects, analyzes, and disseminates data on American agriculture to help farmers, policymakers, researchers, and the public make informed decisions.

NASS conducts a range of surveys and censuses, including the Census of Agriculture every five years as mandated by law. It gathers information on crop production, yields, inventories, prices received, and farm income; livestock numbers; farm expenditures; and farm demographics, among other topics. The agency publishes data through products such as the Quick Stats database and reports like Crop Production, Agricultural Prices, and the Census of Agriculture.

NASS emphasizes confidentiality. In the United States, data collected by NASS are protected under law and CIPSEA, with individual responses kept confidential and aggregated results released publicly to ensure privacy while providing accurate statistics.

The agency operates under USDA’s Research, Education, and Economics mission area and maintains headquarters in Washington, D.C., with a network of field offices and partnerships with state agricultural agencies and universities. Its data are widely used by government agencies, industry groups, farmers, and analysts to understand trends in production, farm structure, prices, and resource use.