The US Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS), together with the CNMI Department of Commerce’s Central Statistics Division announce the release of the 2018 CNMI Census of Agriculture data.
USDA-NASS is the federal statistical agency that is responsible for producing official statistics about the U.S. agricultural industry. The agency collects data every five years nationwide, including the territories. This is the first update to CNMI agricultural data in over 10 years.
Below are a few highlights from the results:
· There were 253 farms.
· Land in farms totaled 1,515 acres, with average farm size of 6.0 acres.
· Total value of sales was $1.6 million, with an average value of $2,245 per farm.
· Vegetables and melons represented the largest category of production, with sales of $639,000.
Governor Ralph DLG. Torres said the statistics from the 2018 Census of Agriculture for the CNMI will help the government improve services and programs for farmers, as well as plan for resiliency.
“As a farmer myself, I know that our local farmers are hardworking individuals that deserve our support. With the release of the 2018 CNMI Census of Agriculture, both the Federal Government and our CNMI Government have the full data to better assist our farmers with their produce and crops through local programs and federal grants. Especially after Super Typhoon Yutu and this year with COVID-19, we look forward to using this data to strengthen our agriculture industry and serve our farmers and ranchers. We must buy and support local. We thank our farmers for their resiliency, and the USDA and our Department of Commerce for their work in putting this together,” said Governor Torres.
Lt. Governor Arnold I. Palacios noted that agriculture ensures local food security, healthier lifestyles, and stronger economic opportunities for farmers and the community as a whole.
“Governor Torres and I are both please to have the CNMI’s official agriculture statistics that will help us find much needed resources to help our local farmers and the economy. This census gives us a great deal of information based on agricultural activities in the CNMI. We have gone through a lot of challenges these last few years, but we are a resilient community, and we will assist our farmers and ranchers in a positive way moving forward,” said Lt. Governor Palacios.
Secretary of Commerce Mark O. Rabauliman said the CNMI Census of Agriculture will bring policymakers and the community together to better support CNMI farmers and ranchers.
“The CNMI’s Census of Agriculture is the only comprehensive report of our agricultural statistics that is used by the federal and local government as well as the farming community for various local farming programs and policies. I want to relay my sincere appreciation to all our farmers and community stakeholders and our government agencies for contributing their valuable data, resources and efforts in making this important report possible,” said Secretary Rabauliman.
The 2018 CNMI Census of Agriculture results can be found here: https://www.nass.usda.gov/Publications/AgCensus/2017/Full_Report/Outlying_Areas/cnmi.pdf.
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