WASHINGTON, DC – USDA will use a new in-house anomaly-detection tool during the November crop report lockup after testing the system against a September reporting error.
USDA Undersecretary Scott Hutchins said the agency developed what it calls a superintelligence, or SI, tool to flag data that appear inconsistent with expected patterns. The system was tested retrospectively using the September report and successfully identified the anomaly that had led to an error later corrected by the National Agricultural Statistics Service.
USDA says the tool will now be used during the November lockup process as another layer of review alongside agency analysts and statisticians.
The system was developed internally by USDA staff, including specialists within NASS and the Office of the Chief Information Officer. USDA says its purpose is narrowly focused on identifying potential anomalies before data are released.
The agency says the move is part of a broader effort to modernize crop data collection, analysis and quality control.
Farm-Level Takeaway: USDA is adding an automated anomaly check to help catch possible crop-report errors before they reach producers and markets.