National Agricultural Statistics Service –
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS), in cooperation with the Hawaii Department of Agriculture, will conduct a Commercial Agricultural Expansion Survey during the summer of 2021. The survey will assess Hawaii agricultural producers’ interest in expanding their commercial production and identify barriers to expansion from more than 1,100 Hawaii farmers and ranchers. Funding for this project was made possible by an appropriation from the Hawaii State Legislature in 2020 to the Hawaii Department of Agriculture.
“The pandemic has renewed Hawaii’s efforts to increase food self-sufficiency and improve its current level of food security,” said NASS Hawaii State Statistician Shawn Clark. “The Hawaii Department of Agriculture will utilize the results in guiding government policies and developing financial assistance programs to assist commercial producers in expanding agriculture production.”
In the survey, NASS asks participants to answer a variety of questions about their business profile, barriers to expansion, impact of expansion on the agricultural and state economy, and interest in expansion. Survey participants can respond online at agcounts.usda.gov or by mail.
In accordance with federal law, survey responses are kept confidential. Survey results will be available in aggregate form only to ensure that no individual producer or operation can be identified. NASS will compile, analyze, and publish survey results in the Commercial Agricultural Production Expansion report to be published in late October. For more information on NASS surveys and reports, call the NASS Hawaii Field Office at (808) 522-8080.
