BOONE, Iowa – The USDA recently released a comprehensive data modernization plan designed to overhaul how it collects and analyzes agricultural data, responding to growing producer frustration with burdensome surveys and declining response rates, officials said.

The agency said survey response rates have steadily declined as producers view the data collection process as increasingly time-consuming, particularly when technology and administrative data could reduce the workload.

“America’s farmers and ranchers are the backbone of our food and agricultural system, and the USDA should respect their time, while delivering the reliable information they need,” said USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins on the first day (Sept. 1) of the 2026 Farm Progress Show, Sept. 1-3, in Boone.

“This plan puts farmers first by cutting burdensome red tape, using modern tools, and ensuring producers have a stronger voice in how the USDA collects and reports agricultural data,” she added. 

In February 2026, Rollins issued a Request for Information, seeking feedback on the opportunities, challenges and emerging areas in USDA data. In addition, she and other USDA officials held a series of data modernization listening sessions at state fairs and farm shows across the country throughout August to hear directly from hundreds of U.S. producers and agricultural stakeholders.

The agency said that feedback helped shape the USDA Data Modernization Plan and its four pillars – the first being modernizing the data reporting experience by expanding use of administrative data; improving mobile access to surveys; exploring opportunities to use pre-filled information where appropriate; and strengthening coordination across the department, which will reduce duplicative requests, limiting the amount of time producers spend reporting information.

The second pillar of the plan, the agency said, would enhance acreage and yield estimation by conducting a pilot to evaluate the use of improved satellite imagery, geospatial tools, crop models, and other emerging technologies, combined with essential producer-reported information to enhance acreage and yield estimations. Geospatial tools are data, information or technology directly linked to a specific geographic location on Earth.

In addition, the USDA will assess the use of optional field inputs to enhance and ground truth yield estimates and continue advancing yield research through collaboration with agricultural partners and land-grant universities.

According to the USDA, ground truth yield estimates are direct, on-the-ground observations, physical field measurements, and producer-provided harvest data used to validate, calibrate and verify large-scale remote sensing, satellite imagery and statistical crop models.

The third pillar of the plan would integrate data and technology platforms. The USDA said it will modernize its technology infrastructure, expand secure data-sharing capabilities, and evaluate the responsible use of tools such as artificial intelligence (AI), and machine learning. The agency added that better integrated systems will improve efficiency, reduce duplication, and allow it to produce more timely and useful information.

The fourth and final part of the plan would be to expand trust and transparency with U.S. producers by protecting producer privacy, clearly explaining why information is requested and how it is used, and creating additional opportunities for producers to provide feedback. The USDA said it will also improve communication surrounding reports, methodologies, response rates and data limitations.

The USDA said the plan also builds on technological advancements already underway across the agency, which include satellite-based crop monitoring, geospatial analysis, cloud-based platforms, improved online reporting tools and more coordinated use of existing administrative data.

Andrew P. Griffth, University of Tennessee professor of agricultural economics, told Farm World, “Something needs to be done from a data collection standpoint, so doing anything is better than the status quo. I am not sure why survey responses have taken a negative turn, but they clearly have.”

He said the data collected in these surveys is important for decision making and the markets that are impacted: “Thus, having accurate and transparent data is important to all agricultural sectors. I cannot say I have a problem with how the USDA analyzes data, but they are not receiving enough data to inform the output.”

He said data collection and reporting are a service to the agricultural community: “It would be impossible for me to do portions of my job if I did not have access to some of this information. As with any survey, the entire population does not respond nor provide clear and accurate information.

“This means any number reported is wrong, but that is not the fault of the USDA,” he added. “Despite this, what is important is knowing how information and values change from one time period to another, and I think this is still beneficial to data users.”

Dale Hadden, Illinois Farm Bureau member and Jacksonville farmer, told Farm World, “As agriculture continues to evolve in response to economic pressures, technological innovations, and other changes, the USDA’s data and resources must also adapt.

“Farmers and ranchers rely on high-quality agricultural data to make informed decisions that support their ability to build and maintain economically viable farming operations,” he said. “However, improvements can be made to build trust among farmers, so that USDA data can remain a credible and relevant source of unbiased, publicly available information.”

Scott Hutchins, USDA undersecretary for research, education and economics, who was alongside Rollins at the Farm Progress Show, said, “By combining producer knowledge with sound science and modern technology, the USDA can reduce the reporting burden, while improving the quality of the information farmers and policymakers rely on.

“This plan will help ensure American agriculture remains productive and resilient for generations to come.”

For more information on the USDA data modernization plan, visit: www.usda.gov/sites/default/files/documents/data-modernization.pdf.