The USDA Office of the Chief Economist plans and organizes the Agriculture Department’s Ag Outlook Forum. That office, along with the Economic Research Service and the National Agricultural Statistics Service, are responsible for the data used for crop reports and other agricultural forecasts. At the end of her speech at the Outlook Forum, Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins said their work has been the gold standard for market reporting. “However, we also know that there is plenty of room for improvement,” said Rollins. “As I have traveled the country and met with thousands of our farmers and ranchers, from our small guys to our bigger guys, one of the key things that keeps coming up is the questioning of how we put those numbers together and what we can do to make them improve. We want to ensure at USDA that we are framing the status of the market, not driving price outcomes. And that will be a major effort over the next year.” A request for information was issued in conjunction with the speech. January’s crop report included significant revisions to 2025 acreage, which brought fresh criticism from traders and farmers. Comments can be submitted until April 9.
