TL:DR: AFBF urges USDA to maintain midyear cattle surveys, vital for market fairness and research.
AFBF’s Plea to USDA
The American Farm Bureau Federation has formally requested the U.S. Department of Agriculture to continue its midyear cattle survey. This comes after the USDA planned to cancel this and other reports due to budget cuts.
Importance of Data
The Bureau argues that losing this data harms market transparency and increases volatility. Such changes make critical data accessible only to those who can afford private collection, affecting competition in the sector.
Impact on Research
Discontinuing these reports would also affect agricultural research and risk management, essential for insurance and academic studies. The loss of county-level data impacts studies at universities and could set back U.S. competitiveness in agricultural research.
