Des Moines, IA – In January, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) will survey about 41,000 cattle operations nationwide to provide an
up-to-date measure of U.S. cattle inventories. “This information helps producers make timely, informed business decisions and plan for herd expansion or reduction. It also helps packers and government leaders evaluate expected slaughter volume for future months and determine potential supplies for export,” said Upper Midwest Regional Director Greg Thessen. “Obtaining the current count of cattle will serve as an important decision-making tool for the entire agriculture industry.”

During the first two weeks of January, Iowa producers will have the opportunity to report their beef and dairy cattle inventories, calf crop, death loss and cattle on feed information. To
make it as convenient as possible for producers to participate in the survey, NASS offers the option of responding via the Internet, telephone, or mail. Survey respondents are encouraged to use the new Respondent Portal at agcounts.usda.gov. On the portal, they can complete their surveys, track upcoming surveys, access data visualizations and reports of interest, link to other USDA agencies, and more.

NASS safeguards the privacy of all respondents. The information provided by survey respondents will be used for statistical purposes only. In accordance with federal law, responses
will be kept confidential and will not be disclosed in identifiable form. Survey results will be published in the Cattle report to be released on January 31, 2023. These and all NASS reports are available online www.nass.usda.gov/Publications.

For more information, call the NASS Upper Midwest Regional Field Office at (800) 772-0825.