WESLACO – A census run by the U.S. Department of Agriculture is now underway.

Farmers who have sold more than $1,000 in agricultural products in 2017 are being asked to fill out a survey.

They’re asked about the products they grow, the size of their farms, the number of workers employed and how much they’re producing.

The data is used by the federal government in developing agriculture policy.

A spokesperson for the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension is asking everyone in the Rio Grande Valley’s Ag community to participate.

“When surveys are not completed, it means it gives an incomplete picture of what agriculture is and agriculture is a very important part of this local economy,” said Brad Cowan with Texas A&M Extension. “So, we encourage all of our Ag producers to fill out the census of agriculture so that the local economy of agriculture can be understood.”

The deadline to complete the USDA census survey is Feb. 5. It can be sent to the USDA by mail or completed online.