MORGAN, Minn. — U.S. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins announced Wednesday that the U.S. Department of Agriculture will launch a series of listening sessions across the country to gather feedback from farmers as the agency develops a plan to modernize its agricultural data collection and reporting systems.
Speaking at Farmfest near Redwood Falls, Rollins said declining participation in USDA surveys has reduced confidence in the agency’s data. She said crop production survey response rates have fallen from 80% to 85% in the early 1990s to about 38% to 45% today, and the USDA wants to improve both the accuracy of its reports and the ease of participating in surveys.
Rollins said the Minnesota event marked the first of several listening sessions planned over the next month. Additional meetings are scheduled in Indiana, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, Illinois, South Dakota, Missouri, Iowa and Nebraska, many in conjunction with state fairs and agricultural events.
She said the effort will help shape the department’s broader modernization plan, including its “One Farmer, One File” initiative, which is intended to streamline USDA services and reduce paperwork for producers. Rollins said the system recently allowed the agency to distribute bridge payments to more than 57,000 farmers within days rather than months.
Joining Rollins at the announcement were U.S. Reps. Michelle Fischbach and Brad Finstad of Minnesota and Rep. Austin Scott of Georgia, vice chair of the House Agriculture Committee. The lawmakers said gathering direct input from farmers will help improve USDA programs and ensure policies better reflect producers’ needs.
During a question-and-answer session, Rollins also addressed concerns about rising farm bankruptcies, saying the overall percentage of farms entering bankruptcy remains low but acknowledged the loss of farmland to development and other uses is a growing concern. She also said protecting producers’ privacy will remain a priority as USDA modernizes its data collection systems.
