Subscribers will note that weekly Commodity Report has omitted the export data for corn, soybeans and soybean meal for the past two editions.  In a statement dated August 31st, Daniel Whitley the Administrator of the USDA Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) ascribed the failure to post the weekly updates as “the result of unanticipated difficulties with the launch of the new Export Sales Report and Maintenance System.”  The FAS will reintroduce the original system on September 15th.  The new reporting system was designed to maintain security of data and to allow for future enhancements.

According to the statement, FAS has worked over many months to transition to the new system.  Notwithstanding this explanation, the technical factors resulting in the defective launch should have been anticipated through simulation and testing.

Whitley observed that “export sales reporting is a partnership between USDA and U.S. agricultural exporters and we recognize data integrity and data quality are interrelated.”  Could this comment be construed as a subtle attempt to shift blame for the debacle?  The delayed launch of the system was ascribed to “unanticipated difficulties”.  This suggests incompetence at some level, denoting structural deficiencies within FAS. Failure to release data required by the agricultural sector and traders is unacceptable.  The Inspector General of the USDA should investigate to determine if:-

• The problem was attributed to a failure in performance by FAS personnel
• Defective deliverables supplied by a contractor
• Lack of coordination between the Agency and their contractor.

It is questioned whether those responsible for implementing the new reporting system will be held to account or whether corrective action will be taken to avert a reoccurrence.