Data collection has been extended for the 2022 Census of Agriculture through the spring to ensure all farmers and ranchers take advantage of the opportunity to be represented in the widely used data. It’s not too late to respond online at agcounts.usda.gov or by mail.
Census data inform decisions about policy, farm and conservation programs, infrastructure and rural development, research, education and more. This is your opportunity to be heard through the ag census and help shape the future of American ag. Whether you farm thousands of acres or a rooftop, the most important thing is that you are counted. Respond today and learn more at nass.usda.gov/AgCensus.
Last month, more than 1,000 northeastern state producers received the Hemp Production and Disposition Inquiry. Like the 2021 questionnaire, this year’s survey will collect information on the total planted and harvested area, yield, production and value of hemp in the United States in 2022.
National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) estimated the total value of hemp production at $824 million in 2021. Planted area for industrial hemp grown in the open for all utilizations in the United States totaled 54,152 acres. Area harvested for all utilizations totaled 33,480 acres. These and other statistics can be found in the 2021 National Hemp Report.
As defined in the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 (2018 Farm Bill), the term “hemp” means the plant species Cannabis sativa L. and any part of that plant such as the seeds, all derivatives, and extracts with a delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol concentration of not more than 0.3 percent on a dry weight basis. The Domestic Hemp Production Program established in the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 (2018 Farm Bill) allows for the cultivation of hemp under certain conditions.
NASS will publish the survey data April 19, 2023, on the NASS website at nass.usda.gov and in the NASS Quick Stats database at quickstats.nass. usda.gov. For more information about the 2022 Hemp Production and Disposition Inquiry, visit the hemp survey web page at nass.usda.gov/go/hemp.
NORTHEAST REGION
CATTLE INVENTORY
Delaware
All cattle and calves in Delaware, as of January 1, 2023, totaled 10.2 thousand head, down 15 percent from the previous year. All cows and heifers that have calved, at 3.80 thousand, were down 16 percent from the 4.50 thousand on January 1, 2022. Beef cows, at 1.20 thousand head, are down 29 percent from a year ago. Milk cows, at
2.60 thousand head are down 7 percent from the previous year. The 2022 calf crop was estimated at 3.50 thousand head, down 10 percent from 2021.
Maryland
All cattle and calves in Maryland, as of January 1, 2023, totaled 157 thousand head, down 5 percent from the previous year. All cows and heifers that have calved, at 80.0 thousand, were down 4 percent from the 83.0 thousand on January 1, 2022. Beef cows, at 40.0 thousand head, are down 5 percent from a year ago. Milk cows, at 40.0 thousand head, are down 2 percent from January 1, 2022.
The 2022 calf crop was estimated at 62.0 thousand head, unchanged from 2021. Cattle and calves on feed for the slaughter market in Maryland for all feedlots totaled 7.00 thousand head on January 1, 2023. The inventory is down 13 percent from the January 1, 2022 total.
New England
All cattle and calves in New England, as of January 1, 2023, totaled 434 thousand head, down 2 percent from the previous year. All cows and heifers that have calved, at 224 thousand, were down 2 percent from the 228 thousand on January 1, 2022. Beef cows, at 42.6 thousand head, are unchanged from a year ago. Milk cows, at 181 thousand head, are down 2 percent from the previous year. The 2022 calf crop was estimated at 169 thousand head, down 3 percent from 2021.
New Jersey
All cattle and calves in New Jersey, as of January 1, 2023, totaled 25.0 thousand head, up 4 percent from
January 1, 2022. All cows and heifers that have calved, at 13.0 thousand, were up 8 percent from the 12.0 thousand head on January 1, 2022. Beef cows, at 8.90 thousand head, are up 14 percent from a year ago. Milk cows, at 4.10 thousand head, are down 2 percent from January 1, 2022. The 2022 calf crop was estimated at 9.00 thousand head, up 13 percent from 2021.
New York
All cattle and calves in New York, as of January 1, 2023, totaled 1.43 million head, up 1 percent from the previous year. All cows and heifers that have calved, at 730 thousand head, are up 1 percent from the previous year’s total. Beef cows, at 100 thousand head, are unchanged from the January 1, 2022 total. Milk cows, at 630 thousand head, are up 2 percent from the previous year.
The 2022 calf crop was estimated at 570 thousand head, up 4 percent from 2021. Cattle and calves on feed for the slaughter market in New York for all feedlots totaled 23.0 thousand head on January 1, 2023. The inventory is up 5 percent from the January 1, 2022 total.
Pennsylvania
All cattle and calves in Pennsylvania, as of January 1, 2023, totaled 1.37 million head, up 2 percent from
January 1, 2022. All cows and heifers that have calved, at 660 thousand, were unchanged from January 1, 2022. Beef cows, at 195 thousand head, are up 3 percent from January 1, 2022. Milk cows, at 465 thousand head, are down 1 percent from the previous year.
The 2022 calf crop was estimated at 520 thousand head, up 2 percent from 2021. Cattle and calves on feed for the slaughter market in Pennsylvania for all feedlots totaled 65.0 thousand head on January 1, 2023. The inventory is down 7 percent from the January 1, 2022 total.
To Growers: I would like to thank you for your contribution to U.S. agriculture and support of our programs. I hope you will continue to support NASS by returning your survey form as soon as possible or answering our questions over the telephone or if someone comes to visit.
Be assured, as with all NASS surveys, the information respondents provide is confidential by law. NASS safeguards the privacy of all responses and publishes only state- and national-level data, ensuring that no individual operation or producer can be identified. All reports are available on the NASS website at www.nass.usda.gov.
King Whetstone
Regional Director
USDA-NASS, Northeastern Regional Field Office
Editor’s Note: This is a monthly column from the Northeastern Regional Field Office of USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS-NERFO). The website is www.nass.usda.gov; for the reports mentioned below, click on the “Publications” tab.