BOONE, IOWA (RFD NEWS) — U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke L. Rollins has announced a new USDA Data Modernization Plan aimed at reducing reporting burdens for farmers and improving the timeliness, accuracy, and usefulness of agricultural data.
Rollins announced the plan Tuesday at the Farm Progress Show in Boone, Iowa.
“America’s farmers and ranchers are the backbone of our food and agricultural system, and USDA should respect their time while delivering the reliable information they need,” said Rollins. “This plan puts Farmers First by cutting burdensome red tape, using modern tools, and ensuring producers have a stronger voice in how USDA collects and reports agricultural data. Under President Trump’s leadership, USDA is bringing agricultural data collection into the 21st century while protecting the privacy and trust of the people we serve.”
The plan includes four key areas, including modernizing the data reporting experience and improving acreage and yield estimates.
USDA says it will expand the use of administrative data, improve mobile access to surveys and explore prefilled information where appropriate to reduce duplicative requests and the amount of time producers spend reporting.
The department will also pilot the use of improved satellite imagery, geospatial tools, crop models and other emerging technologies alongside producer-reported information to improve acreage and yield estimates.
USDA says the plan was shaped in part by feedback gathered from producers and agricultural stakeholders during listening sessions at state fairs and farm shows throughout August.