USDA to test satellites, AI to try to improve crop estimates amid farmer criticism

The U.S. Department of Agriculture is launching a pilot to modernize how it estimates U.S. crop acreage and yields, drawing on improved satellite imagery, geospatial tools and crop models, while incorporating farmer polls. USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins announced the effort Tuesday at the Farm Progress Show in Boone, Iowa, saying the agency will work with NASA and other federal agencies. USDA will also explore artificial intelligence and machine learning as it tries to address mounting criticism from farmers, grain traders and economists over the reliability of government data. The controversy follows deep USDA staffing cuts and large swings in 2025 corn acreage figures between initial and final estimates.