WYD RN? USDA testing text and email invites for farmer survey participation

simazoran / Depositphotos.com USDA is testing a new way for farmers to receive and complete government agricultural surveys, using text messages and email invitations. The National Agricultural Statistics Service says selected producers will be invited to participate in its December Agricultural Survey through the new system. Participants will use multifactor authentication to verify their identity before completing surveys through NASS’s secure online portal. NASS Administrator Joseph Parsons says farmers have limited time, particularly during planting and harvest, and the agency wants to find out whether text and email invitations make survey participation easier. The pilot program will begin in late November. Producers who aren’t selected for the December survey can sign up to receive text or email notifications about future surveys. NASS will evaluate sign-in success, survey completion rates, and participant feedback before deciding whether to expand the program or make further changes. NAFB news service