The USA stops reporting on agricultural production

The release of crop reports by the Department of Agriculture (USDA) has been halted due to the shutdown of the U.S. government. The website of the Economic Research Service, Statistics, and Market Information System has not been updated, and the last available information is dated September 28. This creates uncertainty for farmers and traders who rely on the data to forecast market prices, writes Successful Farming, as cited by agroportal.ua. This is the third shutdown affecting USDA reporting in the past decade, and it has paralyzed the National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS). Half of the 42,000 USDA employees are at risk of being temporarily laid off, which will halt not only reporting but also payments under farmer support programs. According to Reuters estimates, corn harvest progress reached 29% and soybean harvest progress reached 39% as of October 5, which is the lowest level in five years, but the lack of official data contributes to market instability. The absence ...