WASHINGTON – A list of 70 lawmakers recently sent a letter to Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack asking him to reverse a decision to cancel the July cattle inventory survey along with county-level estimates for crops and livestock.

A bipartisan group of leaders signed the letter including Tracey Mann (R- Kan.), chairman of the House Agriculture Committee's Subcommittee on Livestock, Dairy, and Poultry, along with Representative Jim Costa (D-Calif.) who is the ranking member. 

Mann and others highlighted how the reports provide farmers, ranchers, and agriculture producers with transparent livestock, grain, and fiber market insights.

“Droughts, wildfires, sky-high inflation, market fluctuation, and input costs have all driven producers’ risk to an all-time high,” Mann said. “USDA’s decision to cancel the July Cattle Report and discontinue the Cotton Yield Objective Survey and all County Estimates for Crops and Livestock only exacerbates that risk. Farmers, ranchers, and agricultural producers in the Big First and across the country are doing their best as they bear the weight of feeding, clothing, and fueling the world. Secretary Vilsack should immediately reverse this decision and give our producers at least some of the certainty they desperately need and deserve."

Groups supporting the request include the National Cattlemen's Beef Association, National Grain and Feed Association, National Cotton Council, American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF), Livestock Marketing Association, Beef Alliance, and the American Livestock Markets and Dealers Association. 

“The data provided by USDA-NASS in these canceled reports is vitally important to cattle producers, especially in this current period of the cattle cycle,” said Mark Eisele, president of NCBA. “USDA's decision to cut the July Cattle report and County Estimates will only fuel more uncertainty in the market. NCBA thanks Rep. Mann, Rep. Costa, and Sen. Moran for leading a bipartisan group of lawmakers in urging USDA to reverse this decision.”

AFBF came out with its own statement in late April, citing the removal of the National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) survey.

“AFBF is disappointed in NASS’ decision to drop these crucial reports,” said Zippy Duvall, president of the AFBF. “County crop and yield estimates provide important data for markets and research, and the decision to cancel the Cattle Inventory Survey runs counter to USDA’s previous commitments to improve fair, competitive and transparent markets. We appreciate Senator Moran, Congressman Mann, and Congressman Costa for their continued support to reverse NASS’ decision.”

The Beef Alliance also stated that it recognizes the USDA and NASS face funding challenges similar to those facing cattle feeders with higher input costs and tighter margins.

“However, the costs associated with canceling the July Cattle Inventory Report far exceed whatever minimal savings the agency may or may not accomplish given this decision and contradict the agency’s transparency,” said John Wilson, chairman of Beef Alliance. “Unlike other commodities, cattle production inherently involves a multi-year approach to raising, feeding, marketing, and processing. This report is extremely important to market efficiency across the entire beef production sector.”