U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins announced the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Data Modernization Plan to help reduce unnecessary burdens on producers, and improve the timeliness, accuracy, and usefulness of the agricultural data for producers.
Since USDA was established in 1862, collecting and sharing reliable agricultural information has been central to its mission. USDA data informs crop and livestock estimates, risk-management tools, disaster assistance, and critical business decisions made by farmers, ranchers, agribusinesses, researchers, and policymakers.
This past February, Rollins issued a request for Information seeking feedback on the opportunities, challenges, and emerging areas in USDA data. Following a series of data modernization listening sessions at state fairs and farm shows across the country, the feedback helped shape the USDA Data Modernization Plan, which includes modernizing the data reporting system, enhancing acreage and yield estimations, integrating data and technology platforms and expanding trust and transparency.
The USDA Data Modernization Plan builds on technological advancements already underway across USDA, including satellite-based crop monitoring, geospatial analysis, cloud-based platforms, improved online reporting tools, and more coordinated use of existing administrative data. The Department will also continue working with partners to evaluate new methods and strengthen the scientific foundationof agricultural statistics.
USDA will begin implementing actions under the plan immediately and will continue engaging farmers, ranchers, and agricultural stakeholders throughout the process. The Department will evaluate new approaches carefully, protect privacy and confidentiality, and publish clear methodologies and supporting information to maintain the integrity of USDA’s agricultural statistics.
The detailed plan can be found at the USDA website.