Rollins Unveils USDA’s Data Modernization Plan

By Brent Barnett

Brownfield

Ag Secretary Brooke Rollins says USDA’s new data modernization plan is designed to provide farmers with better and more useful information.

“USDA will expand use of administrative data and improve mobile access.”

Secretary Rollins unveiled the new plan Tuesday at the Farm Progress Show and says it will enhance acreage and yield estimation.

“We will conduct a pilot to evaluate the use of improve satellite imagery,” she said. “Working with NASA and other federal government agencies to figure out how we can make this reporting more accurate.”

She says the agency will update its tech infrastructure to reduce duplication.

“We will expand the secured data sharing capabilities,” she said, “and we will evaluate the responsible use of tools such as artificial intelligence and machine learning.”

According to USDA, the newly released data modernization plan builds on technological advancements already underway across USDA, including satellite-based crop monitoring, geospatial analysis, cloud-based platforms, improved online reporting tools, and more coordinated use of existing administrative data.

Rollins says the plan aims to expand trust and transparency with farmers by protecting producer privacy, clearly explaining why information is requested and how it’s used, and creating opportunities for producers to provide feedback.

Rollins says the agency will begin implementing actions under the plan immediately.