USDA Refreshes Crop Yield Data Collection for Farmers Nationwide
Published Date: 1/14/2026
Notice
Summary
The USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service plans to update and extend its Objective Yield Surveys, which help predict crop production for things like corn, soybeans, and nuts. Farmers and others involved in agriculture will keep sharing info through these surveys, which guide important crop reports. Comments on these changes are welcome until March 16, 2026, and the update will last for three more years with no new costs announced.
Analyzed Economic Effects
3 provisions identified: 1 benefits, 2 costs, 0 mixed.
Objective Yield Surveys Extended Three Years
If you are a farmer, rancher, or farm manager, the USDA’s Objective Yield Surveys will be revised and extended for three more years. The surveys will continue to ask respondents for short periodic measurements that average between 2 and 30 minutes, cover an estimated 12,550 respondents, and total about 3,100 annual burden hours; comments are due by March 16, 2026 and current approval expires July 31, 2026.
Fruit & Nut Surveys Added in CA, FL, OR
USDA is adding fruit and nut objective yield surveys for California (citrus, almonds, walnuts), Florida (citrus), and Oregon (hazelnuts). The notice says individual States will reimburse NASS for the costs of these added surveys, and the agency reports increased burden hours and sample sizes that include these additions.
Strict Confidentiality for Respondent Data
If you provide data to these surveys, individually identifiable information will be protected under Section 1770 of the Food Security Act (7 U.S.C. 2276) and the Confidential Information Protection and Statistical Efficiency Act (CIPSEA). NASS employees and contractors must comply with those laws to keep non‑aggregated respondent data confidential.
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Key Dates
Department and Agencies
Related Federal Register Documents
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