The USDA is facing some doubts about the reliability of its data from farmers, grain traders, and economists.
Reuters said the doubts are coming about because of the agency’s significant staff losses and the sharp upward revision in how many acres of corn U.S. farmers harvested in 2025.
“Thousands of employees left the agency last year as a part of the administration’s push to shrink the federal government, and industry stakeholders are worried that the shrinking staff limited the agency’s ability to produce timely and accurate data,” Reuters said.
USDA’s final January estimates of how many acres corn farmers planted and harvested in 2025 represented unprecedented increases from June’s initial estimates.
Already-low grain prices dropped over five percent at a time when growers were already struggling to make enough money to stay in business.
The unexpected revisions prompted the National Agricultural Statistics Service to launch an internal review of its processes for making acreage estimates.