USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service continues to review its agricultural estimates program to ensure the agency provides the most accurate, timely and useful data, while also remaining within the agency budget. As a result, NASS will make the following changes to its in-season reporting for this year:
Vegetables – Reduce to one in-season report
Apple – Forecast in October only (Eliminate March preliminary summary and August report)
Apricot – Forecast in July only (Eliminate June report)
Cherry Production – Publish in June only (Eliminate forecast in June Crop Production)
Grape – Forecast in August only (Eliminate July and October reports)
Peach – Forecast in August only (Eliminate May, June and July reports)
Pear – Forecast in August only (Eliminate June report)
Pecan – Forecast in October only (Eliminate December report)
Banana Revisions in May – Eliminate
Guavas in May – Eliminate
Olives in August – Eliminate
Papaya Revisions in May – Eliminate
Prune Forecast and Revisions in June – Eliminate
Prunes and Plums Forecast in August – Eliminate
The current changes affect the 2012 growing season. All programs will be reevaluated in the future. These changes affect only the in-season forecast reports. There will be no changes for the final end-of-season estimates reporting for all fruits and vegetables. For additional information, please see the 2012 Guide to Products and Services, which NASS will release on February 1.