Public Data & Information – Sometimes We Never Realize Value Until Something Is Gone

By Glynn T. Tonsor

The calendar year of 2025 continues to evolve as a memorable one for cattle producers. Markets continue to reflect supportive demand and supply fundamentals that have underpinned cattle price levels many deemed unreachable just months ago. While indeed market fundamentals largely remain supportive, it is important to note how and why we can come to that conclusion. Alas market data and information are critical to modern agricultural industry functions – you can’t manage (or assess) what you don’t measure. At the time of this writing, we remain in a federal government shutdown leading to this article’s focus on market data and information.

Most livestock producers are what economists would describe as price takers. The available set of market data and information for livestock sellers has long been justification for public investment in collection and reporting efforts by USDA (and other governmental agencies).