Athens, GA (USDA/NASS) – The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) will survey fruit growers in 11 states, including Florida, Georgia and South Carolina, for its biennial Fruit Chemical Use Survey.
The survey will collect information on bearing acreage, pest management practices, pesticide application, acres treated and rates applied for more than 12 fruit crops.
“Pesticide data makes this survey a vital tool for the entire fruit production sector in the United States,” said NASS Acting Southern Regional Director Erika White. “I hope growers understand the importance of these data and will take the time to respond if they receive this survey.”
The Fruit Chemical Use Survey will provide much needed information about current crop production practices in the United States. The results of this survey will paint a detailed picture of pesticide use as well as other pest management practices used by the fruit growers across the nation.
“Growers benefit from providing this information because it is used to re-register products for their use, illustrate the industry’s environmental practices and assure the quality of U.S. food to consumers here and around the world,” said White.
Within the next few weeks, National Association of State Departments of Agriculture (NASDA) enumerators will contact selected Florida, Georgia and South Carolina growers to arrange in-person interviews for conducting the survey. The results of this survey will be available in aggregate form only, ensuring that no individual operation or producer can be identified, as required by federal law.
Survey results will be published in NASS’s online database, Quick Stats, on July 29, 2020. This database and all NASS reports are available on the chemical use survey program website: https://www.nass.usda.gov/Surveys/Guide_to_NASS_Surveys/Chemical_Use/index.php. For more information on NASS surveys and reports, call the NASS Southern Regional Field Office at (800)-253-4419.