USDA to Survey the Floricultu​re and Nursery Industry

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) will spend the next several months gathering information for the 2014 Commercial Floriculture and Nursery Survey. NASS will collect data on production area, sales of floriculture and nursery products, and the number of agricultural workers from producers in Hawaii, California and other major floriculture and nursery states across the nation.

“The data we collect in this survey will help the growers make vital business decisions and evaluate the results of the growing season,” said Mark Hudson, State Statistician of the NASS Hawaii Field Office. “The new report will also give us a chance to pinpoint new trends within the floriculture and nursery industry and ensure that policy decisions are made based only on factual information provided directly from producers.”

Once the survey is mailed, growers will have until February 24 to respond. After that, NASS representatives may be contacting those who did not respond to collect the information over the phone or in a face-to-face interview.

All information NASS collects in this survey will be kept strictly confidential, as required by federal law. The results of this survey will be made available in June 2014 in the annual Floriculture Crops report in aggregate form only, without revealing any information that may identify individual operations. All reports are available on the NASS web site: www.nass.usda.gov.
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Hawaii Ranked Third in On-Farm Renewable Energy Production

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) National Agricultural Statistics Service Hawaii Field Office (NASS), Hawaii ranked third highest in the nation in terms of the number of farms and ranches producing on-farm renewable energy. With a total of 8,569 farms nationally reporting solar panels, wind turbines, and/or methane digesters, Hawaii’s 522 reporting farms came in third behind Texas and California. Hawaii farms producing renewable energy saved an average of $2,125 on their 2009 utility bills, the 11th highest in the nation but slightly less than the national average of $2,406.

Hawaii ranked second in the nation in terms of number of solar panels located on farms and third in terms of number of farms with either photovoltaic and/or thermal solar panels. Of the reported 7,477 solar panels on farms throughout the State, 56 percent were installed between 2005 and 2009.

Hawaii ranked seventh in terms of number of small wind turbines producing energy on farms, turbines rated at a 1-100kw. Forty-three farms reported a total of 67 turbines, 42 percent which were installed over the last five years between 2005 and 2009.

Economic Strength of Hawaii Seed Crop Industry Confirmed by Recent Reports

Economic Strength of Hawaii Seed Crop Industry Confirmed by Recent Reports

The seed industry’s significant contributions to the state’s economy were confirmed by two recent economic reports issued by the Hawaii Field Office of the National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) and well-known Hawaii economist Dr. Leroy Laney.

When I think about an industry that is providing stable jobs for state residents and continuing to grow during this recession, the only one that comes to mind is the seed crop industry

Seed companies are weathering the recession well and contributing real value to Hawaii’s economy

Economic Forecast/Kauai Edition 2009-2010

Honolulu, HI (Vocus/PRWEB ) September 22, 2009 — The seed industry’s significant contributions to the state’s economy were confirmed by two recent economic reports issued by the Hawaii Field Office of the National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) and well-known Hawaii economist Dr. Leroy Laney.