In recent months, the German agricultural press has been critical of USDA commodity reports, citing unreliability due to the October U.S. federal government shutdown and questioning the objectivity ofUSDA estimates. The criticisms correspond with calls by the German Farmers Union for a Europeanrun global commodity reporting system. In response, USDA/FAS staff in Berlin recently authored an article for the German Farmer's Union national newsletter that explains USDA's reporting systems and principles. This report contains the article and an English translation.
