With the arrival of the internet, the Agriculture Department made its vast library of reports and analyses available to the public, from the closely watched monthly crop estimates to assessments of the impact of the pandemic on meatpackers. The USDA went a step further on Wednesday by presenting the first live internet broadcast of one of the briefings USDA analysts give the agriculture secretary whenever a major report is published.
The slide decks used by analysts for the so-called secretary data briefings have been available for some time, but the presentations were never public. For years, they were delivered in the “lockup” area of the USDA’s headquarters complex, a suite of rooms where major reports are assembled behind locked doors. The secrecy is intended to prevent leaks of market-moving information.
It is point of pride among USDA civil servants — and an illustration of the independence of their work from political influence — that the agriculture secretary, a presidential appointee, signs the reports before being told what’s in them.
“We’ve been looking forward to providing these briefings more broadly and are excited to have you join us,” said Joe Parsons, chair of the USDA’s Agricultural Statistics Board, in welcoming viewers on Wednesday. The inaugural briefing began five minutes after release of the quarterly Hogs and Pigs report. Seth Meyer, the USDA’s chief economist, signed the report on behalf of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack.
Travis Averill, chief of the livestock branch for the USDA’s statistical agency, walked viewers through the report with the aid of 13 slides at a pace of one slide per minute. The only additional information he offered was a description of how the USDA gathered the data.
Based on its survey of producers, the USDA estimated there were 72.2 million hogs in the country, down 2 percent from a year ago and fewer than expected by commodity traders. The Hogs and Pigs report also said that there were fewer market hogs and breeding stock than expected. Analysts said the report would strengthen market prices for hogs.
With few exceptions, the White House bars federal officials from commenting on major reports until an hour after they are released. “We will pause the livestream as needed when answering questions from policymakers,” Parsons told viewers. “You’ll see a notice indicating that we’re addressing a question in the room.” There were no questions during the inaugural briefing. Nor did the USDA accept questions from viewers; instead, it fielded those during a “stat chat” on Twitter.
The USDA schedule includes 18 more data briefings, beginning on Thursday with the annual Prospective Plantings and quarterly Grain Stocks reports. The plantings report, based on a survey of growers during the first two weeks of this month, will provide the initial look at how U.S. farmers are responding to the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Both countries are among the world’s biggest wheat exporters.
To watch an archived video of the Hogs and Pigs briefing, click here.
The calendar of livestream briefings is available here. They will appear at youtube.com/usdanass.