American Farm Bureau Federation President Zippy Duvall has expressed approval of the USDA's decision to resume its July Cattle and County Estimates for Crops and Livestock reports. "Both the July Cattle Report and County Estimates reports are crucial tools for farmers and ranchers to understand their markets and make business decisions. We’re grateful USDA made the correct call to restore these reports, after input from AFBF and many other agricultural organizations," Duvall said.
The reinstatement follows a letter sent by the American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) to the USDA last spring, emphasizing the importance of these reports. The July Cattle Report is described as a key element in cattle market transparency, while the County Estimates report is essential for developing crop insurance products. "Congress appropriated the funds to produce these reports, underscoring just how important they are. We look forward to the release of the first edition in early May," Duvall added.
However, there is no announcement yet regarding the Cotton Objective Yield Survey, which was discontinued last year. Duvall encouraged NASS to consider resuming this survey as well, noting that cotton farmers have been facing challenges with prices below break-even levels. He acknowledged that while County Estimates will provide some useful information, there will be a gap during critical growing months.
Press contacts for further information include Mike Tomko, Director of Communications at (202) 406-3642 or miket@fb.org, and Bailey Corwine, Media Relations Specialist at (202) 406-3643 or baileyc@fb.org.
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