The U.S. Department of Agriculture got back into business today as the federal government reopened, but announced that it will not attempt to make up key statistical reports closely followed by agribusiness that were not published due to the shutdown.
 
The World Agricultural Outlook Board’s World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates (WASDE) report that normally would have come out Oct. 11 is canceled, USDA said in a news release.  The next report will come out on schedule Nov. 8, the agency said.  The same applies to Crop Production and Cotton Ginnings reports from the National Agricultural Statistics service (NASS).
 
Additionally, NASS’s Crop Progress reports scheduled for Oct. 7 and 15 are cancelled and its Cattle on Feed and Peanut Prices reports scheduled for Oct. 18 are postponed, the agency said.
 
“While the lapse in federal funding has ended, NASS has not been able to engage in the necessary data collection and analysis over the past few weeks,” USDA said in a news release.  “NASS is assessing its data collection plans and evaluating the timing of upcoming reports.”
 
Agricultural and food interests use the reports to help estimate supply and demand and facilitate price discovery.