The implications of USDA decision to end some reports

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) announced it is discontinuing a select group of ag reports in the coming season. NASS is a division under the USDA that “conducts hundreds of surveys every year and prepares reports covering virtually every aspect of U.S. agriculture,” according to the group’s website. The site also mentions that NASS is committed to providing timely, accurate and useful statistics in service to U.S. agriculture. 

On April 9, NASS announced that it was discontinuing the Cotton Objective Yield Survey, as well as county level estimates for both crops and livestock, effective with the 2024 production year. The notice says, “The decision to discontinue these surveys and reports was not made lightly but was necessary, given...