Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins Launches Satellite Crop Data Pilot

Brooke Rollins, the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture, announced a pilot project to modernize the collection of crop acreage and yield estimates using artificial intelligence, geospatial tools, and satellite imagery. Speaking at the Farm Progress Show in Boone, Iowa, Rollins stated the initiative will involve collaboration with NASA and other federal agencies to increase reporting accuracy and reduce the administrative burden on farmers.

The move follows significant criticism from economists, traders, and farmers regarding the reliability of government agricultural data. Trust in these reports declined after staff cuts and volatile fluctuations between initial and final 2025 corn estimates led to sharp drops in grain prices.

Rollins introduced the project after a series of listening sessions with agricultural producers who are currently facing trade policy challenges and rising costs. The pilot aims to stabilize the data provided by the National Agricultural Statistics Service, which heavily influences federal farm programs and global commodity markets.