United States Department of Agriculture

(Washington, D.C., August 12, 2026) – The U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) is asking selected producers to complete the USDA’s annual County Agricultural Production Survey (CAPS). Information reported through the survey helps USDA produce the nation's only official yearly county crop estimates.

“Every year, producers across the country use USDA's county crop estimates to compare local yields, understand growing conditions, and make better business decisions,” said Joseph L. Parsons, NASS Administrator. “Those estimates start with information provided by producers through USDA's CAPS. Depending on the state, CAPS supports county estimates for crops including corn, soybeans, wheat, cotton, peanuts, rice, sorghum, barley, oats, and other commodities.”

County estimates provide a trusted picture of crop production at the local level. Producers use them to compare yields with county averages, understand production trends, and evaluate how weather and other growing conditions affect crops across their area. The estimates also provide trusted local information used by lenders, crop advisers, insurers, landlords, agribusinesses, researchers, and USDA.

NASS develops county estimates by combining information reported by producers with acreage information from USDA's Farm Service Agency (FSA) and Risk Management Agency (RMA). NASS also uses soil productivity information and advanced statistical methods to improve the quality of the estimates. The results are benchmarked to USDA's official state estimates to ensure they are accurate and consistent.

Even with these additional data sources, producer participation remains essential. Only producers can provide the current, on-the-ground information needed to accurately estimate harvested acreage, production, and yields within their counties.

Selected producers will receive the survey by mail. Producers can complete the survey securely online using the survey code included with their questionnaire or return it by mail. NASS representatives may also contact producers by phone or visit in person to help complete the survey.

Federal law requires NASS to keep all information provided by producers confidential. Information is used only for statistical purposes. No individual producer or farm can be identified in any published report or shared with other agencies for regulatory or enforcement purposes. The CAPS data will be published in NASS’s Quick Stats database this December at quickstats.nass.usda.gov. For more information on NASS surveys and reports, visit nass.usda.gov.