# 2026-12360: USDA Surveys Farmers on High-Tech Growing Tools

2026-12360, Agency Information Collection Activities: Comment Request, is a Federal Register notice from Agriculture Department, Economic Research Service published 2026-06-22, effective Written comments on this notice must be received by August 21, 2026 to be assured of consideration. Comments received after that date will be considered to the extent practicable. Send comments to the address below.; PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-06-29).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2026-12360
- As of: 2026-06-29
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Document number: 2026-12360
- Title: Agency Information Collection Activities: Comment Request
- Type: Notice
- Agencies: Agriculture Department; Economic Research Service
- Citation: 91 FR 37069
- Published: 2026-06-22
- Effective: Written comments on this notice must be received by August 21, 2026 to be assured of consideration. Comments received after that date will be considered to the extent practicable. Send comments to the address below.
- Comments close: 2026-08-21
- Significant: no
- Touches household money: yes
- Regulation identifier numbers: none
- Last updated: 2026-06-29

## In one line

USDA Surveys Farmers on High-Tech Growing Tools

## Summary

The USDA’s Economic Research Service wants to learn how farmers growing specialty crops like fruits and veggies use cool tech like precision and digital agriculture. They’re asking for public comments by August 21, 2026, before launching a new survey that could help farmers save money, fight pests smarter, and boost productivity. This effort aims to make farming more high-tech and profitable without costing farmers extra right now.

## Abstract

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, (Pub. L. 104-12), ERS is proposing a new information collection to study farmers' adoption of precision and digital agriculture, "Survey of Precision and Digital Agriculture use in Specialty Crops."

## Effects PRIA read

- Time Cost: 30-Minute Survey Burden: cost, low. If you are a specialty crop farmer, responding to the USDA survey would take about 30 minutes per respondent. The agency estimates 1,050 respondents and a total annual burden of 1,500 hours for the collection.
- Research to Boost Specialty Crop Profitability: benefit, low. USDA will use the survey data to study precision and digital agriculture adoption in specialty crops to support research intended to increase farmer profitability, protect against invasive species, and promote soil health. The agency says this effort could help farmers save money, fight pests smart…
- Confidentiality Protections for Respondents: benefit, low. Survey responses will be protected under the Confidential Information Protection and Statistical Efficiency Act (CIPSEA) of 2018, and ERS employees and contractors must comply with those protections. This means the data collection includes statutory confidentiality safeguards for participants.

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## Sources
- [2026-12360 on federalregister.gov](https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/06/22/2026-12360/agency-information-collection-activities-comment-request)
- [2026-12360 as published (PDF)](https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2026-06-22/pdf/2026-12360.pdf)

## Related
- [Previous: 2026-12359, Notice Pursuant to the National Cooperative Research and Production Act of 1993…](https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2026-12359)
- [Next: 2026-12361, Orleans International, Inc., Complainant v. Hapag Lloyd AG, Respondent; Notice…](https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2026-12361)
- [All Federal Register documents](https://policyrisk.com/federal-register)

Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2026-12360 (as of 2026-06-29).