USDA NATIONAL AG STATISTICS SERVICE ANNOUNCES CHANGES IN REPORTS

Tricia Braid

Mar 15, 2019  |  Today's News |  Additional Research

Every five years, NASS conducts a program review following the completion of the Census of Agriculture. The review considers the latest information from the census, estimates from the current annual estimating programs, and administrative data to ensure that the NASS annual estimating program adapts to reflect changes in agriculture. NASS also considers public input, which was requested with the program review announcement on October 31, 2018.

Here are the relevant changes to the programs in Illinois.

Corn and soybeans

  • There will be published yield and production forecasts in August.
  • NASS will use the Agricultural Yield survey in August but not the Objective Yield survey.
    • The Objective Yield survey uses field counts and measurements and the Agricultural Yield survey uses farmers’ projections of yields on their farms.
  • The Objective Yield survey will be used in September, October, and November but with smaller sample sizes than in previous years.
  • The Agricultural Yield Survey will continue to be used in August as well as in September, October, and November.

Wheat

  • NASS will reduce sample sizes for the Wheat Objective Yield survey to half the size used in previous years.

Vegetables

  • NASS will continue to publish statistics for pumpkins and sweet corn.

General

  • All program changes are the result of a review process using the Census of Agriculture data as well as public input which was requested last Fall.