USDA SPRING

DATA USERS’ MEETING

Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City - Omaha Branch
2023 USDA Data Users’ Meeting 

April 18, 2023 

Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City - Omaha Branch 

2201 Farnam Street 

Omaha, NE 68102 

AGENDA 

Central Time 

12:30pm 

1:00pm 

1:10pm 

2:15pm 

2:55pm 

3:15pm 

4:15pm 

4:30pm 

Enter Facility/Security

Welcome and Overview 

Joe Parsons, National Agricultural Statistics Service

Agency Reviews 

Foreign Agricultural Service 

World Agricultural Outlook Board 

National Agricultural Statistics Service 

Economic Research Service 

Farm Service Agency 

Agricultural Marketing Service 

U.S. Census Bureau 

Open Forum - Questions and comments from participants

Break 

Open Forum Continues 

Concluding Comments 

End

Virtual Registration Link: https://www.zoomgov.com/webinar/register/WN_q-h9T7yhTfCsshRdqoDKjg

Foreign Agricultural Service..............................1

World Agricultural Outlook Board ....................7

National Agricultural Statistics Service ...........10

Economic Research Service.............................14

Farm Service Agency.......................................22

Agricultural Marketing Service .......................24

U.S. Census Bureau .........................................30

AGENDA
2023 USDA Data Users’ Meeting 1

Page 1 of 6

Update on Information and Data Products Available from

USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service

April 2023

Global Agricultural Information Network (GAIN)

USDA's Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) provides timely reports on foreign markets through the 

Global Agriculture Information Network (GAIN) database. The GAIN database houses reports from 98 

offices covering 177 countries that include timely intelligence and analysis on global agriculture, 

agricultural markets, and foreign government policies affecting agricultural trade. In 2022, 

approximately 2,229 GAIN reports were submitted and published for web-based retrieval. Although a 

decrease of 31 percent from the prior year, the decrease can be primarily attributed to the reduction of

reporting on the impact of COVID-19. In 2022, GAIN reports were downloaded over 1.22 million times.

Users can access GAIN reports dating back to 1996 from the GAIN homepage: 

https://gain.fas.usda.gov/#/.

For questions about the GAIN search engine please contact 1-GAINAppSupport@fas.usda.gov. 

To receive GAIN reports via email, register at:

https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/USDAFAS/subscriber/new

FAS – U.S. Agricultural Export Yearbook

The 2022 Agricultural Export Yearbook will be published on the FAS website in April 2023. The 

yearbook provides a statistical summary of U.S. agricultural commodity exports to the world and the 

United States’ primary trading partners. The 2022 Yearbook will be available at 

https://www.fas.usda.gov/data. 

All U.S. export data found within the Yearbook are collected and published by the U.S. Census Bureau 

of the U.S. Department of Commerce. Foreign country export data are sourced from the reporting 

countries’ national statistical agencies as reported through Trade Data Monitor (TDM). The 2022 U.S. 

Agricultural Export Yearbook consists of two sections: 1) commodity exports, and 2) country of 

destination exports. The Yearbook utilizes FAS product groups as defined in FAS’ Global Agricultural 

Trade System (GATS) using the Harmonized Tariff Schedule (HTS) at the ten-digit level and 

aggregated into classifications that include the primary commodity and its derivatives. FAS has titled 

these product groups as “BICO (HS-10).” BICO is an FAS designation that stands for Bulk, 

Intermediate & Consumer Oriented goods. 

The 13 Yearbook product groups or commodity aggregations are based on the United States’ largest 

export categories. The country Yearbook pages include the United States’ top seventeen export 

destinations. Each commodity and country page includes a list of drivers that influenced exports, market 

conditions affecting supply and demand, and policy and market access issues that impact the United 

States’ ability to export.
2 2023 USDA Data Users’ Meeting

Page 2 of 6

Global Agricultural Trade System (GATS)

USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) Global Agricultural Trade System (GATS) includes U.S. 

agricultural, fishery, and forestry trade statistics dating back to 1967, through the inception of the 

harmonized coding system in 1989 to present. U.S. trade data are updated monthly according to the U.S. 

Census Bureau’s reporting system. Users can access the GATS homepage at 

https://apps.fas.usda.gov/gats/default.aspx.

For questions, please contact Jason Carver (Jason.Carver@usda.gov) or Alex Beckman 

(Alexander.Beckman@usda.gov). 

Production, Supply and Distribution (PSD) Online

USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) PSD Online provides reports and the option for custom 

queries for data on production, supply, and distribution of agricultural commodities for the U.S., key 

producing and consuming countries and aggregated regions, going back to 1960. 

The international portion of the data is updated with input from agricultural attachés stationed at U.S. 

embassies around the world, FAS commodity analysts, and country and commodity analysts with the 

Economic Research Service (ERS). The U.S. domestic component is updated with input from analysts in 

FAS, ERS, the National Agricultural Statistical Service, and the Farm Service Agency. Interagency 

work on the database is carried out under the aegis of the World Agricultural Outlook Board (WAOB). 

The official USDA supply and distribution data is published monthly in: WAOB, WASDE; in the 

foreign agricultural commodity circular series issued by FAS; and in the regional situation and outlook 

reports and monthly commodity newsletters of ERS.

Users can access PSD online at https://apps.fas.usda.gov/psdonline/app/index.html#/app/home.

For questions, please contact us at https://apps.fas.usda.gov/psdonline/app/index.html#/app/contact.

Export Sales Reporting (ESR)

Authorized under Section 602 of the Agricultural Trade Act of 1978, the Export Sales Reporting (ESR) 

Program requires exporters of reportable U.S. commodities to report each week all their export sales 

regardless of the quantity, to the Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS), United States Department of 

Agriculture (USDA). There are 40 commodities currently covered under the program to include wheat, 

wheat products, barley, corn, grain sorghum, oats, rye, soybeans, soybean cake and meal, soybean oil, 

flaxseed, linseed oil, cotton, sunflower seed oil, cottonseed, cottonseed cake and meal, cottonseed oil, 

rice, cattle hides and skins, wet blues, beef, and pork. Users can access the ESR System at 

https://apps.fas.usda.gov/export-sales/esrd1.html. In addition to being available online through the ESR 

webpage and the ESR Query System, weekly and daily reports are now available through email via 

GovDelivery to all users who sign up. To receive ESR daily reports via email, register at:

https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/USDAFAS/subscriber/new)

The August 2022 launch of the Export Sales Reporting and Maintenance System 2.0 (ESRMS 2.0) met 

challenges which forced FAS to revert to legacy ESRMS. Legacy ESRMS will continue to be used by 

exporters until FAS addresses concerns and corrects issues identified during the launch of ESRMS 2.0. 
2023 USDA Data Users’ Meeting 3

Page 3 of 6

FAS held six outreach sessions with exporters to gain further insight on their needs regarding data entry 

and reports. Additional outreach sessions will be scheduled in April and May, 2023 to ensure all 

exporters have attended at least one session. FAS received results from the ESR Data Consumption 

Survey issued in December 2022. In summary, the respondents to the survey indicated that they want to 

have all historical data available to them and are satisfied with the data they gather via the Export Sales 

web pages, ESR Query System and/or API. Feedback sessions with data users will be scheduled to 

introduce the ESRMS 2.1 platform and discuss their needs. In the spring and early summer, FAS will 

conduct additional user acceptance testing and training sessions prior to launching ESRMS 2.1.

For more information, contact the Export Sales Reporting team at esr@usda.gov.

FAS Data Application Programming Interfaces (APIs)

USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) data API portal provides users the ability to obtain 

programmatic access to publicly available agricultural commodity data from the Global Agricultural 

Trade System (GATS), Production, Supply & Distribution (PSD), and Export Sales Report (ESR) 

databases. 

The FAS Open Data Services can be found at https://apps.fas.usda.gov/opendataweb/home. 

For technical questions, please contact the FAS Web Admin Team at FASWebAdminTeam@usda.gov.

Agricultural Tariff Tracker

To help exporters obtain information about tariff reductions resulting from free trade agreements 

(FTAs), FAS launched the Agricultural Tariff Tracker in 2013. The Ag Tariff Tracker has tariff, tariff 

rate quota (TRQ), and safeguard information for the United States’ existing free trade agreements with 

11 FTA partners. In 2019, terms of the U.S.– Japan Trade agreement were added to the Ag Tariff 

Tracker. 

This tool is available at https://apps.fas.usda.gov/agtarifftracker/Home/Search on the Trade Policy/Trade 

Agreements topic page of the FAS website: https://www.fas.usda.gov/topics/trade-agreements.

For questions, please contact Jason Carver (Jason.Carver@usda.gov).

Production Estimates

FAS maintains a website that is a dynamic global crop production portal with key information including 

World Agricultural Production (WAP) briefs, Commodity Intelligence Reports (CIR), geospatial 

applications, crop production maps, and crop calendars at a subnational level for the top-20 producing 

countries (Figure 1, https://www.ipad.fas.usda.gov).

FAS is currently working to integrate the IPAD crop production portal with the new FAS website. The 

current focus is to transition crop production maps, crop calendars and production-related reports, with

additional items to be added in the future. The goal is to make production-related reports, data and 

graphics easily available to the public through the FAS website.
4 2023 USDA Data Users’ Meeting

Page 4 of 6

Figure 1. FAS home page for global crop production
2023 USDA Data Users’ Meeting 5

Page 5 of 6

The FAS website for global crop production also hosts an application called Crop Explorer that displays 

global and routinely updated data on precipitation, average temperature, maximum/minimum 

temperature, evapotranspiration, soil moisture, SPI (Standardized Precipitation Index) Drought Severity, 

NDVI (Normalized Difference Vegetation Index) vegetation conditions, snow cover, production maps, 

etc. Crop Explorer supports monitoring of conditions for 12 different crops: cotton, corn, barley, millet, 

rice, sorghum, wheat, soybeans, sunflower, rapeseed, peanuts, and palm oil. 

(https://ipad.fas.usda.gov/cropexplorer/).

Crop Explorer also monitors SPI Drought Severity in 5-day time steps to quickly identify the severity of 

droughts that may reduce crop yields during the growing season. Efforts are underway to expand the 

crop production maps and calendars to the top-30 producing countries. 

The Crop Explorer website was upgraded to monitor the latest crop conditions and seasonal rainfall 

received for specific crops grown within primary production states. The upgraded Crop Explorer 

monitors specific crops with related web apps called Corn Explorer, Soybean Explorer, Wheat Explorer, 

Cotton Explorer, etc. For example, the dashboard view for Corn Explorer shows corn production maps 

at sub-national (state and county) levels, cumulative rainfall, and NDVI crop conditions for all major 

corn producing countries and regions (Figure 2). 

For more information, please contact Curt Reynolds at curt.reynolds@usda.gov. 

Figure 2. Commodity Explorers and Dashboard View of Corn Explorer 
6 2023 USDA Data Users’ Meeting

Page 6 of 6

Global Agricultural and Disaster Assessment System (GADAS)

GADAS is a state-of-the-art Geographic Information System (GIS) that integrates a vast array of highly 

detailed earth observation data streams with cropland datasets to facilitate agricultural and disaster 

assessments, into an easy-to-use, web-based environment. GADAS provides analysts with a wide 

variety of routine geospatial products (maps, charts, tables) they require for comprehensive situational 

investigations and recurring assessments. GADAS can be accessed directly at 

(https://geo.fas.usda.gov/GADAS/index.html) or through (https://www.ipad.fas.usda.gov).

GADAS will help USDA/FAS remain a global leader in the use of location-based technologies for 

agricultural monitoring and global food security intelligence. The system combines daily weather, 

climate, crop conditions, satellite imagery, and other geospatial data with custom-built applications that 

quickly support the visual comparison of agricultural production-related data. GADAS is also designed 

to provide hourly updates of natural disasters (cyclone tracking, drought evolution, flooding impacts) as 

well as tools for rapid pre- and post-disaster agricultural assessments. Web-based GIS improves 

collaboration between teams in FAS working around the world. 

For questions, please contact Lisa Colson at lisa.colson@usda.gov. 

Figure 3. GADAS home page 
2023 USDA Data Users’ Meeting 7

Office of the Chief Economist

U.S. DEPARTMENT of AGRICULTURE

World Agricultural Outlook Board

Questions about World Agricultural Outlook Board programs may be directed to Mark Jekanowski Chairman, 

WAOB, Mail Stop 3812, South Building, USDA, Washington, D.C. 20250-3812; Mark.Jekanowski@usda.gov

The World Agricultural Outlook Board’s (WAOB) primary mission is to provide reliable and 

objective economic forecasts for farmers and other participants in the food and fiber system. 

Functions include coordinating USDA forecasts of domestic and international agriculture; 

providing economic analysis related to global commodity markets; monitoring markets and 

agricultural weather; and disseminating relevant commodity market information. 

Mark Jekanowski, WAOB Chairman, oversees the creation of the World Agricultural Supply 

and Demand Estimates (WASDE) report and chairs the Program Committee for USDA’s annual 

Agricultural Outlook Forum. Former positions include Deputy Director of Outlook at USDA’s 

Economic Research Service (ERS), Chief of the Crops Branch at ERS, and Senior Vice President 

at Informa Economics.

The Interagency Commodity Estimates Committees (ICECs), chaired by WAOB senior 

economists, clear all USDA commodity outlook reports to ensure consistency with official 

USDA estimates. The committees develop supply and demand estimates for the United States, 

over 100 individual countries, and global totals. Four USDA agencies are represented on the 

committees: Economic Research Service, Foreign Agricultural Service, Farm Service Agency, 

and the Agricultural Marketing Service. 

Report Usage: Each year, WAOB issues 12 monthly World Agricultural Supply and Demand 

Estimates (WASDE) reports; and publishes 52 weekly Weather and Crop Bulletin reports. On 

average, the WASDE is accessed by over 100,000 users worldwide each month. It is one of 

USDA’s Principal Federal Economic Indicators and directly impacts commodity markets. The 

WASDE report is available at: https://www.usda.gov/oce/commodity/wasde 

USDA Baseline: WAOB oversees the annual publication of the USDA’s agricultural long-term 

projections, popularly known as the “Baseline Report,” which provides a conditional assessment 

of market conditions projected over the next ten years based on current policies, normal weather, 

and other specific assumptions. This interagency report and the underlying data are required for 

formulating the President’s budget and can serve as a useful input to long-term strategic planning 

exercises within the government and private sector. The latest edition, USDA Agricultural 

Projections top 2032, can be found at https://www.usda.gov/oce/commodity-markets/baseline. 

Mark Brusberg, Chief Meteorologist, is a key contributor and the main point of contact for 

drought-related activities involving the Department and other Federal Partners, especially the 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Mr. Brusberg serves on the 

Executive Council of the NOAA-led National Integrated Drought Information System (NIDIS) 

and leads several projects related to the work done by NIDIS and other drought-oriented groups 
8 2023 USDA Data Users’ Meeting

on behalf of the Department. He currently serves in a leadership capacity on the National 

Drought Resilience Partnership (NDRP), an intergovernmental task force offering leadership in 

the coordination and administration of activities designed to help mitigate the impacts of drought 

on vulnerable segments of the Nation’s economy. He is also a lead USDA representative to the 

Interagency Council for Advancing Meteorological Services (ICAMS).

Mr. Brusberg chairs USDA’s Combined Drought and Water Management Team, a venue for 

other agencies within the Department to share information and coordinate responses on projects 

and programs involving drought and water resources. As the Departmental lead on Drought, he 

facilitates partnerships between USDA and other groups, including the NDRP, NIDIS, ICAMS, 

and the National Drought Mitigation Center (NDMC). 

Agricultural Weather Monitoring and Assessments: WAOB’s staff of meteorologists 

generate timely weather and crop assessments in support of the monthly Crop Production and 

WASDE reports issued by National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) and WAOB, 

respectively. The meteorologists also provide weekly updates of crop weather to USDA Radio 

and often appear on local and national radio and television broadcasts. As recognized experts 

within the Department, they are often tasked with attending Capitol Hill briefings, reviewing 

legislation and testimony, and contributing to various USDA publications. Another key duty is to 

meet with foreign delegations and domestic groups regarding the process of using weather and 

climate products to produce operational agricultural assessments. WAOB meteorologists publish 

the Weekly Weather and Crop Bulletin (WWCB), which provides weekly assessments of global 

agricultural weather. Data and products are supplied to the WWCB by NASS and NOAA’s 

Climate Prediction Center, through a formal agreement establishing the Joint Agricultural 

Weather Facility. The WWCB tends to average over 10,000 downloads per week from the USDA

site, with additional downloads from the Cornell site. On a rotating basis, WAOB 

meteorologists prepare the weekly U.S. Drought Monitor and the monthly North American 

Drought Monitor. WAOB continues to engage our international counterparts and lends support 

to activities led by the World Meteorological Organization and Global Water Partnership.

WAOB weather products can be found at: https://www.usda.gov/oce/weather-drought-monitor

Agricultural Outlook Forum 2023: The Agricultural Outlook Forum (AOF) is USDA’s largest 

and premier annual gathering. The breadth and timeliness of the AOF program has consistently 

drawn a diverse group of participants including producers, processors, policymakers, 

government officials, and non-governmental organizations to discuss current and emerging 

issues affecting the agriculture sector. After holding the Forum exclusively on a virtual platform 

for two years due to the pandemic, the 2023 AOF returned to an in-person venue in Arlington 

Virginia, with all sessions also livestreamed on a virtual platform. Nearly 1,500 people registered 

to attend in-person and 4,500 attended virtually from all over the U.S. and around the world.

During the Forum, USDA’s chief economist shared the Department’s initial forecasts for the

U.S. agricultural economy, commodity markets, and foreign trade for the new marketing year 

and discussed the farm income situation. Forum Sessions covered a range of topics relating to 

food prices, global agricultural trade, supply chain disruptions and foreign investment in U.S. 

agriculture, among other topics. The entire event can be viewed at: https://www.usda.gov/oce/agoutlook-forum. 
2023 USDA Data Users’ Meeting 9

: 

INTERAGENCY COMMODITY ESTIMATES COMMITTEES

Note: The World Agricultural Outlook Board reviews and approves the World Agricultural 

Supply and Demand Estimates (WASDE) report. The Board’s analysts chair the Interagency 

Commodity Estimates Committees (ICECs) that prepare the monthly report. 

Wheat: Mark Simone, ICEC Chair, WAOB, mark.simone@usda.gov

Andrew Sowell, ERS; Rachel Trego, FAS; Bruce McWilliams, FPAC.

Rice: Mark Simone, ICEC Chair, WAOB, mark.simone@usda.gov

Nathan Childs, ERS; Rachel Trego, FAS; 

Feed Grains: Michael Jewison, ICEC Chair, WAOB, michael.jewison2@usda.gov

Todd Hubbs, ERS; Agata Kingsbury, FAS; Gustavo Ferreira, FPAC.

Oilseeds: Keith Menzie, ICEC Chair, WAOB, keith.menzie@usda.gov

Maria Bukowski, ERS; Agata Kingsbury, FAS; Gustavo Ferreira, FPAC.

Cotton: Stephen MacDonald, ICEC Chair, WAOB, stephen.macdonald3@usda.gov

Leslie Meyer, ERS; Graham Soley, FAS; Kent Lanclos, FPAC.

Sugar: Stephen Haley, ICEC Chair, WAOB, stephen.haley2@usda.gov

Vida Abadam, ERS; Souleymane Diaby, FAS; Barbara Fecso, FPAC.

Meat Animals: Shayle Shagam, ICEC Chair, WAOB, shayle.shagam@usda.gov

Sherry Wise, AMS; Mildred Haley, ERS; John Brower, FAS; Georgi Gabrielyan, FPAC.

Poultry: Shayle Shagam, ICEC Chair, WAOB, shayle.shagam@usda.gov

Peyton Ferrier, AMS; Grace Grossen, ERS; Claire Mezoughem, FAS; Georgi Gabrielyan, 

FPAC.

Dairy: Shayle Shagam, ICEC Chair, WAOB, shayle.shagam@usda.gov

Carolyn Liebrand, AMS; Angel Teran, ERS; Jeffery Dwyer, FAS; Georgi Gabrielyan, 

FPAC.

The 2023 WASDE report release dates are: Jan. 12, Feb. 8, Mar.8 Apr. 11, 

May 12, Jun. 9, Jul. 12, Aug. 11, Sep.12, Oct. 12, Nov.9, and Dec.8
10 2023 USDA Data Users’ Meeting

NATIONAL AGRICULTURAL STATISTICS SERVICE

STATISTICS DIVISION 

What’s New and What’s Changing?

NASS Mission Statement:

To provide timely, accurate, and useful statistics in service to U.S. Agriculture

Crops

NASS is moving the Grain Crushings and Co-Products Production Annual Summary report 

from March to September beginning in 2023. This report incorporates updated previous year data 

from NASS surveys as well as data obtained from the Energy Information Administration (EIA). 

EIA has begun publishing annual revisions to the previous crop year in August, therefore the 

new NASS release timeframe will allow these critical data to be included in the revision process.

NASS is permanently moving the in-season updating of acreage estimates for corn, sorghum, 

soybeans, and sugarbeets to the September Crop Production report. The necessary data, 

including survey data, satellite-based data, and the latest information from USDA’s Farm Service 

Agency and Risk Management Agency, are sufficiently complete to support the review one 

month earlier than was previously done. 

Beginning in 2023, NASS is planning several changes to the questionnaire for the annual maple 

syrup survey. These changes are the result of a thorough review at the request of the industry to 

make the form easier to complete and remove items no longer of interest. This will also lead to 

some adjustments to the publication tables. All changes were communicated through a Federal 

Register Notice.

Beginning in 2023, NASS will add in-season updating of acreage estimates for winter wheat, 

other spring wheat, Durum wheat, barley, and oats to the August Crop Production report. This 

update will utilize survey data, satellite-based data, and the latest information from USDA’s 

Farm Service Agency and Risk Management Agency – similar to the in-season updates for most 

major row crops in September and October. 

Livestock

On January 11, 2023, NASS Cost of Pollination report was released with 2017 and 2022 data. 
2023 USDA Data Users’ Meeting 11

Environmental, Economics and Demographics 

On October 28, 2022, the Conservation Practices Adoption Motivation Survey (CPAM) 

highlights were released. CPAM is a two-year cooperative effort with NRCS to measure farmers’ 

and ranchers’ conservation practices adoption behaviors and adoption reasons on cropland, 

grazing land, forest land and concentrated livestock feeding operations. The focus of the 2022 

survey was crops and livestock conservation practices, while the 2024 survey will focus on 

grazing and forest land on farms. 

On November 23, 2022, the Farm Labor data was released. This was the second year that 

coefficients of variation associated with model-based estimates are published.

On December 15, 2022, the Organics data was released. The 2021 Organic Survey was 

conducted under the authority of the Census of Agriculture Act of 1997. The primary purpose of 

the Organic Survey is to provide acreage, inventory, production, value of sales and sales outlets 

and production practices on certified organic farms. The Organic Survey provides 

comprehensive data at the State and National level for organic crops, livestock, and marketing 

and production practices. The previous release was on October 22, 2020. The briefing streamed 

on NASS’s YouTube channel at 3:05 p.m. ET. 

On February 17, 2023, the Farms and Land in Farms data was released. This will be the second 

year since 2020 where the June Agricultural Survey was used to compute indications of farm 

numbers and acres of land in farms. 

On April 28, 2023, the monthly Agricultural Prices will be released that uses an updated annual 

benchmark methodology for all monthly prices paid indexes. This is the second year the new 

methodology is being used. With the new benchmarking method, the annual average of 

administrative data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) and the Energy Information 

Administration (EIA) is now being used as a component of the index formula. Previously, this 

component was the most recent March estimate of the administrative data. This update better 

reflects the trends of the annual survey and accounts for the updated data collection time period 

from March of the current year to the entire previous year.

On May 12, 2023, Field Crop Chemical Usage data will be released. Originating in 1990, the 

NASS Chemical Use data series is USDA’s official source of statistics about on-farm chemical 

use and pest management practices. 

On July 19, 2023, Vegetable Chemical Usage data will be released. This report is released every 

other year. Originating in 1990, the NASS Chemical Use data series is USDA’s official source of 

statistics about on-farm chemical use and pest management practices.

The Cash Rents county level data will be released on August 25, 2023. NASS was directed 

through the “Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008” and amended by the “Agricultural 
12 2023 USDA Data Users’ Meeting

Act of 2014” to collect cash rents data for use by the Farm Service Agency (FSA) in program 

administration. This is the third year that Bayesian small area models will be used for countylevel rented acre totals and rental rates.

Census of Agriculture Program

Data collection for the 2022 Census of Agriculture is well underway. NASS began mailing to 

just under 3 million farms and ranches in November 2022. The data collection phase is scheduled 

to continue through the spring. Editing, analysis, and data review will continue throughout 2023. 

Release is tentatively planned for February 2024. 

NASS is encouraged by the number of responses received from its enhanced online reporting 

system. This new web-based data collection instrument provides respondents streamlined 

reporting of census of agriculture data with better options to ‘save and return’ along with the 

ability for the producer to print a copy for their records. The online tool speeds up reporting for 

the respondent by customizing the instrument based on the types of crops and livestock they 

produce. 

Two Special Studies (follow-on surveys) are planned for fiscal year 2024. The 2023 Irrigation 

and Water Management Survey (IWMS) and the 2023 Census of Aquaculture. The 2023 IWMS 

is an integral part of the Census of Agriculture and is conducted every five years under the 

authority of the Census of Agriculture Act of 1997 (Public Law 105-113) where participation is 

mandatory. The primary purpose of IWMS is to provide a wide range of irrigation–related data 

covering water usage, irrigation practices, irrigation by type, irrigation by crop, expenses, 

sources of information, purchase of energy for pumping water by power source, and use of 

recycled or reclaimed water. Data collection is set to begin in January 2023 with a release 

intended for later in the year. The IMWS (formerly Farm and Ranch Irrigation Survey) data 

series goes back to 1979. It was last released in November 2019. 

The other Special Study being planned for FY 2024 is the 2023 Census of Aquaculture. It is also 

conducted under the authority of the Census of Agriculture Act of 1997 and participation is 

mandatory. The primary purpose of the Census of Aquaculture is to provide inventory, 

production, value of sales and sales outlets, and distribution of fish not sold. The Census of 

Aquaculture will provide comprehensive data at the State and National level for aquaculture 

products such as shellfish, egg production, food or sport fish, baitfish, ornamentals, crustaceans, 

mollusks, catfish, crawfish, koi, minnows, oysters, perch, soft-shell crabs, trout, and turtles. Data 

collection is set to begin in December 2023 with the release intended before the end of 2024. 

This will be the fifth Census of Aquaculture conducted by NASS with the last release in 2018. 

Modernization 

USDA NASS is committed to high standards of customer service and making it easy for farmers, 

ranchers, and data users to interact with us. NASS is modernizing their online systems to 

improve the customer experience around reporting data and accessing NASS official federal 

agricultural data and reports. We are making accurate data available on schedule in ways that 

customers like yourself have told us they want. 
2023 USDA Data Users’ Meeting 13

NASS has continued its ongoing efforts to modernize its customer interfaces, making responding 

to surveys and accessing NASS data and reports faster, friendlier, and easier. This 

modernization effort also allows NASS to work more efficiently. Modernization will be focused 

in two main areas, Data Collection and Data Dissemination. 

Data Collection - NASS recently released the new Respondent Portal and all new data 

collections now flow through this modern entry point. Immediate benefits of the portal are 

• Streamlined authentication process provides a convenient, central point to respond to all 

NASS surveys. 

• Creating and using a user account allows respondents to see past survey responses. 

• Incremental development and improvements over the next few years will further meet 

customer expectations. 

• Improve performance and speed of the portal and offer additional options for reporting data to 

NASS including an upload feature. 

• Providing a customized digital experience designed around the user’s needs and behaviors. 

Farmers and ranchers will be able to build and save custom homepages to compare their data 

with other (national, state, county) data. 

• Integration with USDA’s Farmers.gov website, allowing farmers, ranchers, and 

agribusinesses to expand their access to multiple USDA agencies’ information to make 

decisions for their operation that are fact based and data driven. 

Data Dissemination - In December 2022, the milk production data was released in the new 

modern format. As NASS continues to evolve and optimize its data products and services, new 

content and functionality will be added. Economic and field crop information is expected to be 

made available in the new format in late 2023. The new format can be viewed at 

https://data.nass.usda.gov/dairy/milk-production/. 

NASS Links 

Visit the NASS website (www.nass.usda.gov) and follow us on Twitter @usda_nass to stay up 

to date.

Link to the USDA, NASS Agricultural Statistics Board Calendar:

www.nass.usda.gov/Publications/Calendar/2023/2023ReleaseCalendar_6Months_85x11_Color.pdf

Link to the 2023 NASS Guide to Products and Services:

www.nass.usda.gov/Publications/2023GuideProductsServices.pdf
14 2023 USDA Data Users’ Meeting

ERS’ mission is to anticipate trends and emerging issues in agriculture, 

food, the environment, and rural America and to conduct high-quality, objective 

economic research to inform and enhance public and private decision making. 

ERS also provides a wide range of data products covering different commodity 

markets and the agricultural economy.
2023 USDA Data Users’ Meeting 15

U.S. Department of Agriculture | Economic Research Service | www.ers.usda.gov

 www.ers.usda.gov

Cover photo image from Getty Images.

Use of commercial and trade names does not imply approval or constitute endorsement by USDA.

To ensure the quality of its research reports and satisfy governmentwide standards, ERS requires that all 

research reports with substantively new material be reviewed by qualified technical research peers. This 

technical peer review process, coordinated by ERS' Peer Review Coordinating Council, allows experts who 

possess the technical background, perspective, and expertise to provide an objective and meaningful 

assessment of the output’s substantive content and clarity of communication during the publication’s review.

In accordance with Federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights 

regulations and policies, the USDA, its Agencies, offices, and employees, and institutions participating in 

or administering USDA programs are prohibited from discriminating based on race, color, national origin, 

religion, sex, gender identity (including gender expression), sexual orientation, disability, age, marital 

status, family/parental status, income derived from a public assistance program, political beliefs, or reprisal 

or retaliation for prior civil rights activity, in any program or activity conducted or funded by USDA (not all 

bases apply to all programs). Remedies and complaint filing deadlines vary by program or incident.

Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication for program information (e.g., 

Braille, large print, audiotape, American Sign Language, etc.) should contact the responsible Agency or 

USDA's TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TTY) or contact USDA through the Federal Relay 

Service at (800) 877-8339. Additionally, program information may be made available in languages other 

than English.

To file a program discrimination complaint, complete the USDAProgram Discrimination Complaint Form,AD3027, found online at How to File a Program Discrimination Complaint and at any USDAoffice or write a letter

addressed to USDA and provide in the letter all information requested in the form. To request a copy of the

complaint form, call (866) 632-9992. Submit your completed form or letter to USDA by: (1) mail: U.S.

Department of Agriculture, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue, 

SW, Washington, D.C. 20250-9410; (2) fax: (202) 690-7442; or (3) email: program.intake@usda.gov.

USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer, and lender.
16 2023 USDA Data Users’ Meeting

Resources & 

Environment

Economic impacts of conservation programs, efficacy of policies designed to protect

the environment, and the use of technology to enhance agricultural 

U.S. Department of Agriculture | Economic Research Service | www.ers.usda.gov

Food & 

Nutrition

Economic research and analysis on policy-relevant issues related to the food sector 

(food safety, food prices, and markets); consumer behavior related to food choices 

(food consumption, diet quality, and nutrition); and food and nutrition assistance 

programs (SNAP, WIC, National School Lunch Program).

High-Quality, Objective 

Economic Research

ERS research programs provide timely, independent, and objective information about the U.S. agricultural 

economy, its resources, and its links to the general economy and food markets. Our research integrates 

market information and economic theory to inform decision makers in the Government, the U.S. Congress, 

agribusinesses, farm and industry groups, the media, and the general public.

Our research covers a range of economic and policy topics, including:

Farm & Rural 

Economy

Farm sector performance and farm households’ well-being; farm size and concentration; 

investments in rural communities and drivers of rural economic performance; and demographic change and its impact on rural communities.

Commodity

Markets &

Outlook

Timely, in-depth analyses and information important to understanding and anticipating 

developments in agricultural commodity markets. The Outlook program covers the 

major field crops (feedgrains, oilseeds, wheat, rice, cotton, and sugar), livestock and 

products, specialty crops (fruits, nuts, vegetables, and pulses), and agricultural trade.

Global Markets

& Trade

Major markets and competitors; economic impacts of existing and potential exports 

and imports, trade barriers, and existing/potential trade agreements.
2023 USDA Data Users’ Meeting 17

U.S. Department of Agriculture | Economic Research Service | www.ers.usda.gov

Timely Data on the 

Agricultural Economy 

and Commodity Markets

ERS creates more than 60 data products covering the agricultural economy, commodities and food 

markets. Collectively, ERS data products were accessed 3.8 million times in fiscal year 2022. 

Our work on data products includes transforming raw survey data to make the information accessible to 

users, as well as developing new datasets based on economic models or through the compilation of data 

from diverse sources.

ERS releases four types of data products:

 Survey Data such as the Agricultural Resource Management Survey, which is a 

primary source of information on the financial conditions, production practices, and 

resource use of U.S. farm businesses.

 Model-Based Results, including estimates from our economic models, such as the 

Food Dollar series, which measures annual expenditures by U.S. consumers on 

domestically produced food; and the Agricultural Trade Multipliers, which estimate the 

amount of economic activity and jobs generated by agricultural exports.

 Economic Indicators and Summary Statistics compiled from an array of 

official sources. Examples include Farm Income estimates, Cost of Production estimates, 

and detailed data on commodity supply/use and U.S. agricultural trade.

 Charts and Visualizations, including Charts of Note released daily, Tableau 

visualizations, and an extensive inventory of chart galleries that display key trends and 

relationships across market variables.
18 2023 USDA Data Users’ Meeting

U.S. Department of Agriculture | Economic Research Service | www.ers.usda.gov

Modernization of Data

Delivery

To expand the reach of our data products, ERS is continuously innovating to develop data dissemination 

tools and channels that meet the changing needs and expectations of our users. Ongoing efforts include:

Developing Structured and Automated Databases to facilitate open and centralized access to a broad range of data.

Expanding Use of Application Programming Interfaces

to allow users and developers to design new ways to access and 

present data.

Developing a New Data Dissemination Web Platform

that will serve as a one-stop shop for our most used data, including 

commodity market data.

Leveraging Tableau and Other Visualization Software

to present data in a modern, user-friendly format.

1

2

3

4
2023 USDA Data Users’ Meeting 19

U.S. Department of Agriculture | Economic Research Service | www.ers.usda.gov

Recent Publications by the

Economic Research Service

ERS releases periodic outlook reports covering developments in commodity markets, including seven 

monthly releases on field crops and livestock/dairy/poultry, two biannual reports covering specialty crops, 

and quarterly U.S. Agricultural Trade Outlook reports.

Other ERS outlooks, economic research reports and economic informational bulletins include: 

Dietary Quality by Food Source and Demographics 

in the United States, 1977–2018

Food prepared away from home has become a mainstay in U.S. consumers’ diets, accounting 

for more than 50 percent of total food expenditures since 2009 and more than 30 percent of 

total food energy intake since 2011. This report analyzes data from nationally representative 

food consumption surveys conducted between 1977 and 2018 to examine U.S. consumers’ 

dietary quality relative to the Federal dietary guidance and how this varies by food source.

Precision Agriculture in the Digital Era: Recent Adoption on U.S. Farms

Digital agriculture—the ongoing transformation of farming that includes digitalization and 

automation of farming tasks—may be a part of the solution to challenges facing U.S. 

agriculture, including rising production costs, climate change, and labor shortages, among 

others. This report documents trends in the U.S. farm sector’s adoption of digital agriculture 

technologies between 1996 and 2019, with emphasis on changes since 2016, using data from 

USDA’s Agricultural Resource Management Survey.

United Kingdom Agricultural Production and Trade Policy Post-Brexit

The United Kingdom (UK), an important regional agricultural producer with historical 

prominence in global agricultural trade, left the European Union (EU) and is now responsible 

for constructing agricultural policy and negotiating trade agreements. This report explores 

trends in UK agricultural production and trade while the historical UK–EU coupling and 

potential trade opportunities post-Brexit are considered.
20 2023 USDA Data Users’ Meeting

U.S. Department of Agriculture | Economic Research Service | www.ers.usda.gov

Access to Farmland by Beginning and Socially Disadvantaged Farmers: 

Issues and Opportunities

The aging of the population of U.S. farmers, increasing concentration of farmland ownership, 

and competition for land from urban and environmental uses may have implications for land 

available for beginning or socially disadvantaged (SDA) producers. Beginning and SDA 

producers may have fewer financial resources or face other constraints when buying or 

otherwise accessing land to enter farming or expand their farm operation. This report 

examines factors influencing land access to beginning and SDA farmers using survey, 

 

Rural America at a Glance: 2022 Edition

This report looks at recent population trends, the changing structure of economic sectors, the 

labor force, and job growth in rural areas. After a decade of overall population loss from 2010 

to 2020, nonmetropolitan areas grew at a faster rate than metropolitan areas during 2020—21 

due to a sharp turnaround in migration flows occurring in the first year and a half of the 

Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. 

The Food and Nutrition Assistance Landscape: Fiscal Year 2021 Annual Report

The USDA administers 15 domestic food and nutrition assistance programs that together affect 

the lives of millions of people and account for roughly two-thirds of USDA’s annual budget. In 

response to the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, USDA launched additional temporary 

programs and implemented numerous policy changes that expanded the scope and coverage 

of existing programs. This report uses preliminary data from USDA, Food and Nutrition Service 

and USDA, Agricultural Marketing Service to examine program trends and policy changes in 

USDA’s largest U.S. food and nutrition assistance programs through FY 2021.

Adjusting to Higher Labor Costs in Selected U.S. 

Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Industries

This report examines how U.S. producers of selected labor-intensive fresh fruit and vegetables 

are addressing the rising costs of labor. Farm labor costs increased from 2010-19 for several 

reasons, including fewer newly-arrived unauthorized workers, rising State minimum wages, 

and new requirements to pay overtime wages to some farm workers. Rising labor costs often 

cause producers to adjust their production and management practices to compensate for the 

changing cost structure.
2023 USDA Data Users’ Meeting 21

U.S. Department of Agriculture | Economic Research Service | www.ers.usda.gov

Examples of Data Products by the

Economic Research Service

Primary–Survey Data

 ARMS Farm Financial and Crop Production Practices, which are developed jointly with 

USDA's National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS)

Model Results Estimates

 Food Dollar

 Agricultural Trade Multipliers

 International Baseline Data

 Season-Average Price Forecasts

Summary Statistics

 Foreign Agricultural Trade of the U.S.

 U.S. Bioenergy Statistics

 Feed Grains Database

 Livestock & Meat Domestic Data

Charts and Visualizations

 Charts of Note  Now available via mobile app

 Cross-Commodity Visualization
22 2023 USDA Data Users’ Meeting

On-Farm Grain Storage in Areas with Limited Commercial Capacity Due to Severe Storms

Producers in counties affected by eligible disaster events in Kentucky, Minnesota, South Dakota, Illinois, 

Indiana, Iowa, Missouri, North Dakota, and Tennessee can apply for cost-share assistance through the 

Emergency Grain Storage Facility Assistance Program (EGSFP). The new program provides cost-share 

assistance for the construction of new grain storage capacity and drying and handling needs, in order to 

support the orderly marketing of commodities. An initial allocation of $20 million in cost-share 

assistance is available to agricultural producers in affected counties impacted by the damage to or 

destruction of large commercial grain elevators as a result of natural disasters from Dec. 1, 2021, to Aug. 

1, 2022. The application period opens later this month and closes Dec. 29, 2023.  

Rice Production Program

FSA plans to provide up to $250 million in assistance to rice farmers. USDA is sharing information early 

so producers can prepare for program signup, which will include a pre-filled application in an effort to 

simplify and streamline the application process. 

On Dec. 29, 2022, President Biden signed into law H.R. 2617, the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023, 

which provided the authority and funding for USDA to make payments to rice producers based on data 

already on file with the USDA, including planted acres and acres prevented from being planted.

Conservation Reserve Program Signup for 2023

Agricultural producers and private landowners can begin applying for the Conservation Reserve Program 

(CRP) General signup starting February 27 through April 7, 2023. CRP is a cornerstone voluntary 

conservation program offered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and a key tool in the BidenHarris administration’s effort to address climate change and help agricultural communities invest in the 

long-term well-being of their land and natural resources. 

Producers and landowners enrolled more than 5 million acres into CRP through signups in 2022, building 

on the acceptance of more than 3.1 million acres in the largest Grassland CRP signup in history. There 

are currently 23 million acres enrolled in CRP, with 1.9 million set to expire this year. USDA’s Farm 

Service Agency (FSA) is aiming to reach the 27-million-acre cap statutorily set for fiscal year 2023. 

Organic Dairy Marketing Assistance Program

The new ODMAP, to be administered by USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA), is intended to help smaller 

organic dairy farms that have faced a unique set of challenges and higher costs over the past several 

years that have been compounded by the ongoing pandemic and drought conditions across the country. 

Many small organic dairy operations are now struggling to stay in business and FSA plans to provide 

payments to cover a portion of their estimated marketing costs for 2023. Final spending will depend on 

enrollment and each producers projected production, but ODMAP has been allocated up to $100 

million.

Signup for 2023 Assistance for On-Farm Food Safety Expenses for Specialty Crop Growers

The Farm Service Agency (FSA) reminds specialty crop producers of available assistance to help cover 

certain costs of complying with regulatory and market-driven food safety certification requirements. FSA

will accept applications for 2023 costs from Feb. 1, 2023, to Jan. 31, 2024. 

Farm Service Agency
2023 USDA Data Users’ Meeting 23

FSA is making available up to $200 million through the FSCSC program, which is part of USDA’s broader 

effort to transform the food system to create a more level playing field for small-scale agricultural 

operations and a more balanced, equitable economy for everyone working in food and agriculture.

Sign up continues for 2020/2021 Natural Disaster Assistance (Emergency Relief Program (ERP) Phase 

2) and 2020 Pandemic Assistance (Pandemic Assistance Revenue Program (PARP). 

USDA announced two new programs that wrap-up and fill remaining gaps in previous natural disaster 

and pandemic assistance. To be eligible for ERP Phase Two, producers must have suffered a decrease in 

allowable gross revenue in 2020 or 2021 due to necessary expenses related to losses of eligible crops 

from a qualifying natural disaster event. Assistance will be primarily to producers of crops that were not 

covered by Federal Crop Insurance or NAP, since crops covered by Federal Crop Insurance and NAP were 

included in the assistance under ERP Phase One.  

To be eligible for PARP, an agricultural producer must have been in the business of farming during at 

least part of the 2020 calendar year and had a 15% or greater decrease in allowable gross revenue for 

the 2020 calendar year, as compared to a baseline year. 

The ERP Phase 2 and PARP application period is open from January 23, 2023 through June 2, 2023.

Farm Loan Program Improvements 

USDA has developed a simplified direct loan application to provide improved customer experience for 

producers applying for loans from the Farm Service Agency (FSA). The simplified direct loan application 

enables producers to complete a more streamlined application, reduced from 29 to 13 pages. Producers 

will also have the option to complete an electronic fillable form or prepare a traditional, paper 

application for submission to their local FSA farm loan office. The paper and electronic versions of the 

form will be available starting March 1, 2023. 

In October 2022, USDA launched the Loan Assistance Tool, an online step-by-step guide that provides 

materials to help an applicant prepare their farm loan application in one tool. Farmers can access 

the Loan Assistance Tool by visiting farmers.gov/farm-loan-assistance-tool and clicking the ‘Get Started’ 

button. The tool is built to run on any modern browser like Chrome, Edge, Firefox, or the Safari browser. 

A version compatible with mobile devices is expected to be available by the summer. It does not work in 

Internet Explorer.   

The simplified direct loan application and Loan Assistance Tool are the first of multiple farm loan process 

improvements that will be available to USDA customers on farmers.gov in the future.
24 2023 USDA Data Users’ Meeting

The mission of USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) 

is to facilitate the competitive and efficient marketing of agricultural products.

USDA DATA USERS’ SPRING MEETING 2023 

The Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) administers programs that create domestic and international 

marketing opportunities for U.S. producers of food, fiber, and specialty crops. AMS also provides the 

agriculture industry with valuable services to ensure the quality and availability of wholesome food for 

consumers across the country. 

Nearly 4,000 AMS professionals work every day to support the country’s diverse agricultural operations, which 

range from individual farmers to international businesses and employ 1 in 12 people. AMS services and its 

millions of dollars in annual grant investments also create opportunities by supporting economic development in 

small towns and rural communities that stand as the backbone of American values. 

Much of the agency’s support for agriculture is provided through commodity-specific efforts, such as its Dairy; 

Specialty Crops; Livestock and Poultry; and Cotton and Tobacco Programs. AMS also oversees the National 

Organic Program; Science and Technology Program; and the Transportation and Marketing Program. AMS 

also provides regulatory oversight for over 20 research and promotion programs and enforces other Federal 

regulations such as the Packers and Stockyards Act, the Perishable Agricultural Commodities Act (PACA) and 

the Seed Act.

CURRENT ISSUES OF INTEREST

My Market News 

 

The Market Analysis & Reporting Services (MARS) and its public facing website, My Market News and related 

API continue to expand its offerings to data users in 2023. 

Market News continues to implement Market Analysis and Reporting Services’ (MARS) advanced technical 

capabilities and additional market types. In FY 2023, MARS and its public facing website, My Market News, 

continued to add more market types and reports to those available to the public. Through My Market News, 

users can now access data for over 735 unique market reports disseminated from over 45 Market News offices 

across the country. Currently, users can access dairy, cotton quality, truck rates, trends, poultry, egg, livestock 

and video auctions, hay, auction hay, direct livestock trading, tobacco, rice, feedstuffs, grain and bioenergy 

information through My Market News. Market information for retail, national feeder cattle summary, egg 

pricing, wool, international imports and exports, and the Specialty Crops market types of terminals, shipping 

point, and movement will transition to My Market News by the end of 2023. 

Additionally, through both the MARS and LMR Application Programming Interfaces (API), customers can now 

access data from over 875 unique market reports. The APIs allows users to automatically download data in 

custom formats. After a one-time setup, the API will continue to deliver the requested information to the user in 
2023 USDA Data Users’ Meeting 25

the established format without further action. Other updates that have been implemented on the site over the 

past year include the functionality that allows users to identify corrected data sets both by report and through the 

My Market News API and Livestock Mandatory Reporting (LMR) API. 

In February 2022, AMS introduced the USDA Market News Mobile Application v1.0 (app) with free iOS and 

Android versions available to download through the Apple and Google Play stores. The App was updated in 

June to v.2.0 to expand access across all commodity groups. The app gives users instant access to nearly 1,500 

reports covering conventional and organic livestock, poultry, grain, dairy, cotton, and specialty crop market 

reports. The app lets users search for current and historical reports by location, State, or commodity. Users can 

also add reports to their favorites for easier access, share reports via text or email, subscribe to reports, and 

share the aggregated data behind reports via email. The app provides real-time notifications when a new report 

is published without any delays. This new tool is part of a multi-year initiative to improve the Market News 

customer experience by providing easier access to data through the latest media technologies.

In May v3.0 of the App will be released. This version will provide additional tools that allow users identify 

reports containing international, retail, and organic data. The update will also simplify the search process for 

the state and commodity search screens, make newly released reports more visible to users. 

Federal-State Cooperation

AMS Market News has Federal-State Cooperative Agreements with 30 states for commodity market reporting 

activities. Beginning in FY 2023, these agreements were converted into the USDA ezFedGrants (eFG) Grants 

and Agreements System. The eFG system is used for processing Federal financial assistance transactions and 

provides significant efficiencies to all users managing grant and agreement portfolios. AMS worked closely 

with its state partners to ensure a successful transition to the new system. These cooperative working 

relationships enable resources at the Federal and State levels to be leveraged to expand the breadth, depth, and 

dissemination of market reporting to the benefit of the industry and information users. State reporters cover 

livestock auction and grain elevator markets, and other local reporting activities, such as farmers markets, that 

would otherwise be costly and more difficult to cover using Federal resources alone. 

Organic Market Reporting

The Agricultural Improvement Act of 2018 (Act) re-authorized $5 million to USDA for the collection and 

reporting of data on the production and marketing of organic agricultural products. As required by the Act, 

USDA collects and distributes reporting on prices of organic agricultural products; develops and implements 

surveys on organic production, handling, and distribution; and conducts analysis on the data for publication in 

reports. Of the $5 million allocation, $3.5 million was provided to the Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) to 

support organic production and market data activities. 

AMS is currently engaged in several key activities to support organic production and market data activities, as 

required by the Act, under the Organic Data Initiative (ODI). Key among these is the collection and distribution 

of market information for organic and conventionally produced agricultural products. Each business day, AMS 

Market News reporters collect price, demand, and movement information and make it available online at no 

cost to ensure market transparency and assist in the marketing and distribution of agricultural commodities.

AMS Market News currently reports over 240 organic commodities, and tracks and reports organic markets at 

three main levels – shipping point or point of entry (for imports), wholesale, and retail. Reporting of organic 
26 2023 USDA Data Users’ Meeting

commodities at shipping point usually includes tracking the volume of movement, which consists of domestic 

shipments or crossings from Mexico/imports from other countries. Market News provides some comprehensive 

reports for the organic sector, such as the daily National Specialty Crops Organic Summary. AMS has a 

webpage showcasing Market News organic reports including a Weekly Retail Organic Price Comparison 

Report that shows the price differences between organic and conventional products to assist stakeholders in 

analysis of commodity sales and consumers’ willingness to pay for organic products.

In FY 2023, AMS continues to expand its outreach and educational efforts to the organic sector to promote the 

availability and usage of the existing market information and resources, identify new data needs, and build 

stronger relationships with stakeholders. 

Market Information Organization of the Americas/International Collaboration

AMS Market News serves as the chair of the Market Information Organization of the Americas (MIOA), a 

cooperation network of institutions from 33 countries that operate like Market News. These institutions track 

and report major markets within their nations to ensure the availability of reliable information for their agroindustrial complex, relevant ministries, and government agencies. MIOA works to harmonize efforts, identify,

and share best practices, and support trade and economic development through the availability of critical market 

data. MIOA supports the concept that timely and unbiased market information helps provide market 

transparency – a basic public good. MIOA and AMS Market News have partnered to create the MIOA Toolbox, 

a five-part series of modules available in English, Spanish, and Portuguese. This series has provided hundreds 

of leading market information specialists, data analysts, and various strategic partners from the 33 member 

countries with key information on the strategies, new tools, and good practices to improve market reporting.

across the Americas. The five modules are titled:

• Components of a Successful MIS

• Value of and Strategies for Accurate Market Information 

• Market Reporter: Profile and Good Practices for Success

• Good Practices for MIS in Preparation for Emergencies

• Outreach, Education and Promotion for MIS

AMS Market News, along with the other data agencies of USDA, is partnering with the Foreign Agricultural 

Service (FAS) to deliver capacity building programs in the Dominican Republic and the State of Maharashtra, 

India. AMS is drawing upon the MIOA Toolbox for these training programs for market information specialists. 

Information specialists from other countries have sat in on these advanced training programs, greatly increasing 

the reach and impact of these programs. Additional projects for improving Market Information Systems with 

guidance from AMS Market News are also underway in Ecuador, Peru, and Paraguay.

Livestock, Poultry, and Grain Market News Reporting

Livestock, Poultry, and Grain Market News (LPGMN) continues to focus much of its efforts on improving our 

customers’ experience by providing greater access to LPGMN data through more modern tools, including 

transitioning market data and reports to My Market News. The Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2022 (Act), 

passed in March 2022, extended LMR authorization through September 30, 2022, and the Continuing 

Appropriations and Ukraine Supplemental Appropriations Act of 2023 extended LMR reauthorization through

December 16, 2022. The Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2023 signed on December 29, 2022, extended 

LMR authorization through September 30, 2023. The March Appropriations Act provided funding to the 
2023 USDA Data Users’ Meeting 27

Livestock, Poultry, and Grain Market News Division to develop and maintain a Cattle Contracts Library (CCL) 

pilot program like the Swine Contract Library maintained by the Packers and Stockyards 

Division. Development of the CCL is underway and expected to be released publicly no later than September 

30, 2023.

Data users are encouraged to access the My Market News API, the LMR API, and the legacy LMR Web Service 

to consume LPGMN data more effectively, efficiently, and on demand. Data users can also access LMR report 

data through the XML Format link at the bottom of each PDF report, and through the LMR API. The LMR API 

offers access to all LMR, Dairy Mandatory, and Federal Milk Marking Order reports and data. 

Cotton Market News Reporting

During the 2022-2023 cotton crop year, Cotton Market News is monitoring the quality of the crop and adding 

special reports to the to the Weekly Cotton Market Review as quality issues are identified. Cotton Quality Data 

files are available in My Market News. The weekly cotton quality data file contains classification information 

for all bales classed in each week. The file contains data for Upland and Pima cotton. The identification 

includes the Cotton Program's Classing Office number or the two-digit State Code in which the bale was 

ginned, depending on the file accessed. The data does not contain individual bale identification (gin and bale 

number). This data can be used to produce statistical reports for various combinations of cotton quality 

information. Cotton Price Excel and CSV files are available in My Market News. Historical files continue to 

be loaded and files will be available going back to at least the 2014-2015 marketing year. Additional Cotton 

Price datasets are available by request. E-mail CottonMN@usda.gov or Barbara.Meredith@usda.gov if you are 

interested in Cotton Price datasets.

Dairy Market News Reporting

Dairy Market News (DMN) continues to enhance My Market News, improving access to information and data 

for the dairy industry. Class II, Class III, and Class IV weekly cream multiples and prices were added to the 

domestic East and West Fluid weekly regional reports. In February 2023, Dairy Market News added several 

new package sizes to the weekly retail ad collection entries, allowing for improved coverage of organic butter, 

cheese, and ice cream product ads. Enhancements to APIs at the My Market News landing pages are available, 

with updates made regularly to meet customer needs. API documentation is displayed on the homepage of each 

Dairy Market News report in the My Market News system. Dairy Market News reports will be transitioning to 

PDF format, from txt format, soon.

Reports of mandatory dairy product survey prices and Federal order statistics are published by the Dairy Market 

Information Branch (MIB) on the My Market News website, the AMS website, and Cornell’s USDA 

Economics, Statistics and Market Information System (ESMIS). The underlying data for these reports are 

available in Datamart and the associated API, both part of the Livestock Mandatory Reporting system. Sample 

API workbooks are also available on the My Market News website.

Specialty Crops Market News Reporting

Specialty Crops Market News (SCMN) added new packages, origins, and varieties to its market reports as they 

emerged in the marketplace, or in response to industry requests to report new products or enhance existing 

products. The National Retail Report – Specialty Crops has grown to be one of the mostly closed tracked 
28 2023 USDA Data Users’ Meeting

reports published by Market News. SCMN tracks approximately 410 supermarket chains, with over 30,300 

individual outlets. Overall, SCMN tracks over 785 unique specialty crop commodities at three market levels 

(retail, wholesale, and shipping point) plus the movement, which consists of domestic shipments, crossings 

from Mexico, and import volumes. To better meet specialized information needs, the U.S. Mexico Canada 

Agreement Seasonal Perishable Products Weekly Update, was created to highlight the seasonal market situation 

on several of the most widely imported specialty crops commodities, with additional commentary and market 

price and volume data visualizations.

SCMN gained access to the Automated Commercial Environment/International Trade Data System (ACE), 

implemented through the joint efforts of the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), Homeland 

Security, and the Customs and Border Patrol (CBP). SCMN transitioned to using the ACE system as the 

primary source of import data, starting with the northern border on January 2, 2020. On January 3, 2021, 

SCMN continued the transition to ACE for all other points and ports of entry, excluding Mexico Crossings 

through Nogales, Arizona. The ACE data using the Harmonized Tariff Schedule (HTS) codes is timelier, 

allowing SCMN to have daily reports for hundreds of commodities, and it reflects the more actual volumes, as it 

covers all ports and points of entry. 

SCMN worked closely with industry leaders to request new HTS codes from the International Trade 

Commission (ITC) to increase the specificity of the ACE data and provide transparency for commodities that 

have significant economic value in the marketplace. Since July 2021, SCMN is responsible for the creation of 

101 new HTS codes, 26 of which are organic. Currently, 31 commodities are being held in abeyance for the 

October 2022 ITC 484 (f) Committee meeting and more than a dozen additional commodities are being 

researched for the March 2023 submission.

Agricultural Transportation Open Data Visualization Platform – AgTransport

The AgTransport platform offers farmers, commodity analysts, elevator operators, shippers, and other 

stakeholders’ access to USDA data that can help them make timely market decisions about moving agricultural 

products across the country and around the world. This free, open data platform contains numerous datasets and 

dashboards about the four modes—rail, truck, barge, and ocean vessel—used to transport agricultural products.

AgTransport facilitates easy analytics. Users can gain personalized insight through interactive charts, and they 

can generate and save their own unique visualizations and data views that will be updated automatically over 

time. If they wish, users also can share their visualizations with others in the tool’s open data community. 

AgTransport makes data available in many different, open formats and automatically generates and maintains 

an Application Programming Interface (API) for each dataset.

There have been many new features added to the platform with the latest expansion in July. One feature helps 

users visualize data about international transport costs to better understand international trade competitiveness. 

New interactive datasets have been added related to highway infrastructure from the report, The Importance of 

Highways to U.S. Agriculture, released in December 2020. There is also an online version of the 2021 

Compendium of Agricultural Transportation Research, which offers insight on all major transport modes by 

highlighting the main findings and methods from recent research between 2015 and 2021.

Other features on the platform include: 
2023 USDA Data Users’ Meeting 29

• Grain Transportation Cost Indicators and Global Competitiveness Dashboard with data on Brazil, 

Mexico, and Japan

• Interactive Rail Dashboard with expanded Data, Maps, and Analysis, featuring 14 years of Surface 

Transportation Board Public Waybill data in an easy-to-use, accessible format.

• Agricultural Rail Service Metrics Dashboard

• Barge Dashboard with additional rivers and locks added to the waterway Lock Performance 

Management Data

• Ocean Port Profiles Dashboard

• Bulk and Container Ocean Fleet Data

• Grain Trucking Indicators

• Refrigerated Truck Dashboard with Rates, Volumes, and Availability

• Dashboard for selected Grain Price and Basis Data

• Digitized Modal Share Analysis for Transportation of U.S. Grains

• Biofuels Dashboard, including Ethanol, Biodiesel, and DDGs
30 2023 USDA Data Users’ Meeting

Economic Data from the U.S. Census Bureau

The U.S. Census Bureau provides information that tells the story of our changing economy. The Economic 

Indicators, Economic Census and our quarterly and annual economic surveys give Federal, state, and local 

governments, policy makers, and business and community leaders the information needed to make informed 

decisions that shape our economy.

Issues of Interest to Data Users

1. Accessing Data from the U.S. Census Bureau

• USA Trade Online 

USA Trade Online is a dynamic data tool that gives users access to current and cumulative U.S. export 

and import data. With multiple data sets and capabilities, USA Trade Online can assist different types 

of customers from a wide range of industries and fields. This tool offers data by Harmonized System, 

North America Industry Classification System (NAICS), and the Department of Agriculture code. This 

powerful software allows users to create customized reports and colorful charts detailing international 

trade data at different levels. 

https://usatrade.census.gov/index.php

• Monthly Trade Data in the Census Data API

 The U.S. Census Bureau has detailed monthly international trade data in its Application Programming 

Interface (API). The Census Data API has international trade data from 2013 to present. The 

international trade statistics provide monthly and cumulative year-to-date export and import totals 

with multiple layers of detail. The statistics also include two datasets with U.S. exports and imports by 

Department of Agriculture code. 

 The Application Programming Interface provides researchers and developers free access to its 

demographic and economic data.

 https://census.gov/data/developers/data-sets/international-trade.html

• Global Market Finder (GMF)

The Global Market Finder is an interactive data visualization tool that paints a picture of the export 

market for a particular commodity. The user just needs to select the Schedule B code they are 

interested in and the tool will display all the countries that the U.S. exports to, shows value by method 
2023 USDA Data Users’ Meeting 31

of transportation, and unit price. Users can drill down to specific countries and download the data that 

they have pulled. 

https://www.census.gov/library/visualizations/interactive/export-markets.html

• Census Business Builder

The Census Business Builder (CBB) is a suite of services that provide selected demographic and 

economic data from the Census Bureau tailored to specific types of users in a simple to access and use 

format. The CBB includes: 

o Demographic, socioeconomic, and housing data from the American Community Survey

o Business data from the County Business Patterns, Nonemployer Statistics, Economic Census, and 

Survey of Business Owners 

o Trade data on total imports and exports, broken out by mode of transportation (Air & Vessel), for 

selected three- and four-digit agriculture, mining, and manufacturing NAICS codes at the national and 

state level. 

o Building Permits data at the county and place level 

In addition, it provides Agriculture data from the Census of Agriculture (USDA). 

https://www.census.gov/data/data-tools/cbb.html

2. Principal Economic Indicators

The U.S. Census Bureau's Economic Indicators keep the world informed by providing the first official 

measures of the U.S. economy. Our Economic Indicator surveys provide monthly and quarterly data that 

are timely, reliable, and offer comprehensive measures of the U.S. economy. These surveys produce a 

variety of statistics covering construction, housing, international trade, retail trade, wholesale trade, 

services, and manufacturing. The survey data provide measures of economic activity that allow analysis of 

economic performance and inform business investment and policy decisions. The data can be accessed via 

the Economic Indicator Briefing Room and the Economic Indicator Database.

• Economic Indicator Briefing Room

The Economic Indicator Briefing Room web site provides access to the latest data, full release reports, 

historical data, and time series and trend charts. census.gov/economic-indicators

• Economic Indicator Database

Select an economic indicator and customize your data selection. Ability to download the data to a 

spreadsheet and create your own time series charts. Business and Industry: Time Series / Trend Charts 

(census.gov)
32 2023 USDA Data Users’ Meeting

• For questions regarding Economic Indicators, please contact:

Ms. Catherine Buffington, Chief, Economic Indicators Division

U.S. Census Bureau

Washington, DC 20233-6010

Phone: (301)-763-1838

Email: Catherine.D.Buffington@census.gov

3. International Trade

Each month, the U.S. Census Bureau releases the U.S. International Trade in Goods and Services (FT900) 

report, which is one of the principal economic indicators for the United States. This report can be found 

along with other information on our website https://www.census.gov/foreign-trade/index.html

Webinars are archived at: https://www.census.gov/foreign-trade/outreach/index.html

• 15 CFR PART 30 — Foreign Trade Regulations

For information on the FTR and filing requirements, please emd.askregs@census.gov or use the 

International Trade Helpline number, 1-800-549-0595 and select option 3.

• Questionable data should be brought to our attention as soon as possible. Potential data errors caught 

early are easier to verify and improve the quality of data going forward. To request data verification, 

please contact Mr. Gregory Kondilas (gregory.kondilas@census.qov), Chief of our International Trade 

Indicator Micro Analysis Branch.

4. Other Economic Data from the U.S. Census Bureau

The Census Bureau produces economic data across the entire economy on a monthly, quarterly, yearly, 

and five-year basis, including industries related to agriculture. These industries can include: 

o NAICS 113 Forestry and Logging 

o NAICS 114 Fishing, Hunting and Trapping 

o NAICS 115 Support Activities for Agriculture and Forestry 

o NAICS 311 Food Manufacturing 

o NAICS 4244 Grocery and Related Product Merchant Wholesalers 

o NAICS 4245 Farm Product Raw Material Merchant Wholesalers 
2023 USDA Data Users’ Meeting 33

o NAICS 445 Food and Beverage Stores 

• COVID-19 Data Hub

The U.S. Census Bureau's COVID-19 Hub contains demographic and economic data designed to help guide 

decision-making related to the COVID-19 pandemic. The interactive platform includes key demographic 

data from the American Community Survey and key data on businesses with one or more paid employees 

from the County Business Patterns program. In addition, the COVID-19 Data Hub brings together data 

from multiple Federal agencies including the USDA’s Emergency Food Assistance Program and private 

sector organizations. The hub was built in collaboration with ESRI and leverages many features of the 

ArcGIS platform and solution templates. 

https://covid19.census.gov/