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FACT
SHEET:
FAS
Overseas Reporting and
the Global Agriculture Information Network (GAIN)
January 2006
Printable version (.pdf)
Reporting
The Foreign
Agricultural Service (FAS) has staff in
99 offices in 80 countries around the
world. FAS foreign service officers and foreign nationals also monitor and
report on agricultural trade issues in an additional 66 countries. FAS' total
worldwide reporting covers agricultural issues in nearly 150 countries.
FAS overseas staff are the eyes and ears of U.S. agriculture abroad, serving
both American farmers and agricultural exporters, as well as USDA policy makers.
As U.S. diplomats, FAS agricultural attachés have unparalleled access to foreign
government officials and expert knowledge of foreign agricultural market
conditions. Having FAS staff in countries where critical events are happening
allows us to provide timely reporting on breaking events and key policy
decisions affecting agricultural trade. FAS agricultural experts:
Report and analyze changes in the policies of
foreign governments and trading blocs that affect U.S. agricultural exports;
Report and analyze how multilateral trade
agreements, such as the World Trade Organization (WTO) and the North
American Free Trade Agreement, affect U.S. exports;
Report on new international developments and major
issues impacting global agricultural trade such as
bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE),
avian influenza, and agricultural biotechnology;
Assess marketing opportunities for U.S. agricultural
products; and
Monitor crop developments in major producing
countries.
The GAIN System
To help disseminate critical agricultural knowledge to USDA decision makers
and the public, FAS developed the Global Agriculture Information Network (GAIN).
GAIN is a web-based system that allows users to search FAS' database of overseas
reports from 1995 to the present. Users can search reports by date range,
country, commodity, or key word in the title. FAS overseas offices submit more
than 3,000 reports per year, approximately half of which are scheduled periodic
reports.
Types of Information in GAIN
The FAS global electronic reporting system provides information on a wide
range of subjects pertaining to international agricultural trade, production,
and policies. FAS posts report on current developments affecting agricultural
trade on a continual basis, but also submit scheduled periodic reports. Some of
the major categories of scheduled reports include:
Trade Policy Reports. Exports of U.S.
agricultural products are affected by a myriad of ever-changing trade
policies. Each September, FAS field offices prepare "Food and Agricultural
Import Regulations and Standards (FAIRS)" reports, which cover more than 40
major markets for U.S. products. FAS posts report annually on export
certificate requirements in all countries covered. They also provide
frequent updates on changes in foreign policies affecting agricultural trade
and developments in multilateral trade agreements, such as the WTO.
Agricultural Biotechnology. This annual
report is typically published in the fall. Biotechnology-related trade
policy, marketing, and food assistance issues are among the U.S.
agricultural community’s most significant new challenges. This report
collects information on a country’s agricultural biotechnology policies for
USDA policy makers and a broad range of FAS constituents, including farmers,
food processors, exporters, and technology providers.
Commodity Reports. FAS overseas offices
provide information on international production, consumption, and trade of
most commodities of interest to U.S. agricultural producers. Countries
selected for scheduled periodic (e.g., annual, semi-annual, or monthly)
commodity reporting are either major producers of, or major markets for, a
specific commodity. Most annual and semi-annual reports contain production,
supply, and distribution (PSD)
tables. These tables
contain three years of data: past, current, and forecast. This provides a
complete snapshot of the commodity situation, including trade, storage, and
use data. Commodity updates are submitted whenever changes in local
conditions, policies, or situations are expected to impact the international
market. These reports provide U.S. exporters with analysis of implications
for U.S. trade. It should be noted that Production, Supply, and Distribution
(PSD) data contained in GAIN are NOT official USDA data, but
represent estimates made by FAS Attachés. Official USDA PSD data are determined after analyzing all overseas
reports and drawing on additional sources, including more than 1,500
documents received from private and public sources around the world, global
weather information, and satellite imagery analysis. After this analysis,
official USDA data are released in USDA’s "World Agricultural Supply and
Demand Estimates" monthly report and in FAS’ "world production, market, and
trade reports."
Market Reports. Up-to-date country market
information helps U.S. agricultural producers identify and export to foreign
markets. "Product Briefs" provide an assessment of the market for specific
products, including the size of the market, factors affecting demand for
U.S. products, and market promotion opportunities. "Exporter Guides" provide
basic information on marketing and exporting agricultural products to more
than 75 countries. "Market Research Reports" analyze market distribution
systems for various sectors, such as the food retail, food processing, or
hotel, restaurant, and institutional (HRI) sectors.
Accessing GAIN
GAIN reports can be accessed electronically on the FAS Home Page at
http://www.fas.usda.gov/scriptsw/AttacheRep/default.asp. A link at the top
of this page helps users subscribe to daily or weekly e-mailed summaries of
foreign agricultural reports.
For more information on the GAIN system, search engine, or subscriptions,
contact the FAS Knowledge Management Staff at
Reports.Officer@fas.usda.gov.
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