Monthly Spotlight

The federal government is in a partial shutdown at the writing of this report, resulting in lapses in publicly available data and research. Data influences decision making, and its reduced availability complicates forecasting and risk management for entities across the agriculture sector. Outlined below are U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) agencies that support the data needs across a wide spectrum of users. Next month’s Spotlight will cover broader implications for agriculture if the shutdown continues. 

USDA agencies that provide data/research

• Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) – AMS supports domestic and international marketing opportunities for producers and is perhaps the primary source of price and sales data across a wide array of commodities. Reports are currently being produced.
• Agricultural Research Service (ARS) – ARS is the chief scientific in-house research agency and focuses on addressing long-term challenges to agriculture. Data sets range widely. Many research activities are currently paused and staff furloughed.
• Economic Research Service (ERS) – ERS research focuses on emerging social, economic, nutrition and industry trends, and is generally designed for those engaged in policy making. Many research activities are currently paused and staff furloughed.
• Foreign Agriculture Service (FAS) – FAS is USDA’s international arm focused on promoting exports, international development and technical exchange. Among its services, FAS hosts the Global Agriculture Trade System (GATS) that aggregates monthly trade flow data for agriculture products (sourced from the Census Bureau). GATS is among the primary sources of agriculture trade flow data. GATS data is currently not being updated.
• National Agricultural Statistics Survey (NASS) – NASS conducts hundreds of surveys each year on issues including agricultural production, economics, demographics and the environment. It also conducts the Census of Agriculture every five years. It is among the primary sources of annual production, sales, yield, acreage and price data. Many research activities are currently paused and staff furloughed.

Impact to the industry   

AMS, FAS and NASS have a wide range of users, including producers, state/local/federal governments, academic institutions, financial institutions, political organizations and industry associations, cooperatives and consultants. Audiences for ARS and ERS research are often more academic or political in nature, making up universities (scientists, extension agents, etc.) and those engaged in policy making. Larger organizations with the resources to purchase private data and/or with field staff who can provide grassroots insights are likely to weather data gaps better than others.

It remains unclear how long the government shutdown will last, how long it will take for reporting to return to normal once it reopens, and how data quality will be impacted in the near- and long-term.

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