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USDA to survey dairy sector

USDA survey officials will measure the wellbeing of the dairy sector starting in January.

Survey Director Barbara Rater of the USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service says they will team up with the Economic Research Service to visit producers to gauge the impact of federal agriculture policies including the Margin Protection Program.

Rater says America’s dairy producers haven’t been surveyed since 2010, when they only looked at conventional dairy operations.  She says the 2017 survey will look at several sectors including organic dairies.

Dairy producers will receive postcards from USDA, and then on-farm visits will be arranged.  Data for the survey will be gathered until early April and results will be released later in the year.