By Rachel Yeung and Kya Hector
Key Takeaways
On September 1, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced its Data Modernization Plan, which aims to improve agricultural data and increase transparency. This follows a Request for Information released earlier this year seeking feedback on agricultural data collection, which included a series of listening sessions held across the country.
Read the plan here
What’s in the plan?
The Data Modernization Plan is organized around four pillars: modernizing the data reporting experience, enhancing acreage and yield estimation, integrating data and technology platforms and expanding trust and transparency with producers. Through these pillars, USDA plans to:
- Improve the use of administrative data from USDA agencies to prevent requests for data producers have already submitted
- Redesign mobile surveys and other interfaces to be more user-friendly and explore opportunities to use pre-filled survey data
- Review data collection practices and technology infrastructure with external experts
- Conduct a pilot to evaluate the use of emerging technologies to enhance acreage and yield estimates
- Modernize USDA's technology infrastructure, expand data-sharing capabilities, and evaluate how AI and machine learning can be integrated
- Engage with agricultural partners, such as state departments of agriculture, producer organizations and land-grant universities
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