While often the target of criticism, crop supply and demand estimates published by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) give farmers access to essential information they need to make good marketing decisions, USDA Chief Economist Seth Meyer said last week in the final installment of Iowa Farm Bureau Economic Summit webinar series.

“I think the benefit is it balances the playing field,” said Meyer, who previously chaired the World Agricultural Outlook Board that compiles the USDA’s monthly World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates (WASDE) for public re­­lease. “Cargill, Bunge and ADM are going to know more than you do, so it ...