Foreign Agricultural Service
Maintains a worldwide agricultural market intelligence and commodity reporting service to provide U.S. farmers and traders with information on world agricultural production and trade for use in adjusting to changes in world demand for U.S. agricultural products. Reporting includes data on foreign government policies, analysis of supply and demand conditions, commercial trade relationships, and market opportunities. In addition to survey data, crop condition assessment relies heavily on computerized analyses of satellite, meteorological, agricultural, and related data. The FAS program serves as the analytical foundation for USDA's export programs and is an important source of information in trade policy efforts.
(FAS) Dept of Agriculture