Who is Responsible for the Census
of Agriculture?
For the first time, the census of agriculture is the responsibility of the United States Department of
Agriculture, National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS). In prior years, the agricultural
census was conducted by the Bureau of the Census.of Agriculture?
WHY THE CHANGE?
The high priority placed on the census by the United States Department of Agriculture assures the continuation of the census of agriculture and that adequate resources will be available to conduct a 1997 Census comparable to the 1992 Census.Planning, collection, and release of census results will be more efficient by consolidating the experience and resources of NASS and the Census Bureau.
The consolidation will reduce response burden. Previously NASS and the Census Bureau were required to maintain separate lists of farms and ranches. Now, with the census responsibility NASS can develop one master list that can be used both for the census and ongoing sample surveys.
