Nebraska corn growers say the USDA undermined trust when the agency published errors on Nebraska and Kansas corn data.
USDA NASS said the error affected September corn plant populations and ear counts for both states and the 10-state averages, as well as yield forecasts for both states and the U.S.
Nebraska’s September corn yield estimate was revised from 177 to 182 bushels per acre.
Andy Groskopf, chairman of the Nebraska Corn Board, and Michael Dibbern, president of the Nebraska Corn Growers Association, issued the following joint statement:
“The corrected September Crop Production report is an improvement, but errors like this have far-reaching effects on farmers and the markets they depend on. We expect NASS to identify the source of the error and put safeguards in place so it does not happen again. Farmers rely on accurate data to make marketing decisions, and mistakes like this undermine their trust in NASS data at a time when they need it most.”
NASS also reviewed and validated the October data and estimation procedures and confirmed that the October yield and production forecasts remain unchanged. Moving forward, the agency said it will implement additional pre-publication checks to verify acreage weights and validate objective yield calculations. “We are evaluating further improvements to strengthen our quality-control procedures,” a statment noted.
“We thank the farmers and data users who brought the concerns to our attention. NASS remains committed to providing timely, accurate, and reliable agricultural statistics and to promptly communicating and correcting any errors identified in our published data.”
