USDA launches new interactive data insights tool

A new data dissemination tool is coming to the Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service, the agency announced Wednesday.

Deemed “AgInsights,” the tool is designed to “enhance” the data provider’s products and services with streamlined information and a more efficient, dynamic and interactive experience, a press release said.

“AgInsights is an important step forward in how producers interact with agricultural statistics,” said NASS Administrator Joseph Parsons. 

The update to NASS, which publishes official U.S. data on crop production and prices, was reportedly previewed earlier this summer.

New features include interactive visualizations with automated maintenance, “providing the opportunity to sunset old applications that were cost prohibitive and unsupported while reducing the labor-intensive efforts required for each report,” the release said.

However, it did not explicitly say whether the site uses artificial intelligence. 

“By streamlining information delivery and integrating advanced technologies, we’re making it easier for producers to access, analyze, and apply the latest data to their operations,” Parsons said in the release.

AgInsights is also optimized for mobile use, it said, making complex data “easy to interpret and apply to real-world challenges,” and is customizable depending on the user’s operational needs.

USDA recently made a change in its IT shop, with Sam Berry resigning from his chief information officer position. Tony Brannum, the agency’s chief information security officer, is reportedly stepping in as acting CIO.