Why are American farmers increasingly refusing to respond to USDA agricultural surveys?

Farmers are shunning USDA surveys due to eroding trust in government data, fearing the information they provide is used in ways that harm their interests—particularly by contributing to reports that depress crop prices amid abundant harvests. As one farmer stated, 'I don’t trust the data, I don’t trust the process, I don’t trust their people,' and added, 'they monkey with my business.'

What real-world consequence has resulted from declining USDA survey response rates and resulting data inaccuracies?

The lack of reliable farmer input has led to less accurate USDA reports, which in turn fuels market volatility—for example, the January crops report’s unexpected 1.6% upward revision to the US corn crop estimate caused Chicago futures to post their biggest daily decline in years, surprising traders and undermining confidence in future USDA forecasts.

American Farmers Shun USDA Surveys as Trust in Data Erodes

May 1, 2026

US farmers ignore USDA surveys due to data distrust, hitting record-low response rates that threaten report accuracy and spike futures market volatility. The agency plans initiatives like "One Farmer, One File" to restore data reliability for crop pricing.

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American Farmers Shun USDA Surveys as Trust in Data Erodes

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