Jun 29, 2022

USDA adds specialty crops to market news app

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has added specialty crops to the USDA Market News App 2.0 update.

The free app gives producers and others in the supply chain instant access to market information about conventional and organic products. The app was designed to make it easy for users to navigate and access the information on a mobile phone.

Version 2.0 includes access to three additional commodity areas: Cotton and Tobacco, Dairy and Specialty Crops. Users can filter searches to see reports by commodity area and market type, the ability to add reports to favorites and subscriptions by commodity area and market type, an improved way to manage subscriptions and a calendar feature that provides access to previously released reports.

USDA launched the first version of the Market News app in February, with access to about 800 livestock, poultry, and grain market reports. Today’s updated version of the app includes market reports for conventional and organic dairy, cotton, and specialty crop commodities.  It also offers greater access to market information by increasing the total number of Market News reports available on the app to nearly 1,500.

“The Market News app helps create a more level playing field for small and medium producers by delivering critical market information to them where they are, when they need it,” said Under Secretary for Marketing and Regulatory Programs Jenny Lester Moffitt. “With the latest update to the Market News App, now, dairy, cotton, and specialty crop producers can access critical market insights about conventional and organic products through their phone, supporting USDA’s efforts to build more transparent markets.”

Users can search for markets based on location, by state, or by commodity. They also can add market reports to their favorites for easier access, share reports via text or email, subscribe to reports, and receive real-time notifications when a new report is published. For additional data analysis, the app lets you share the source data behind the reports.

The free USDA Market News app is available in both iOS and Android versions and may be downloaded through the Apple and Google Play stores. Search for “USDA Market News Mobile Application” to download the app and begin exploring its potential.

USDA Market News continues to expand its tools and resources to ensure producers benefit from the vast amount of market information available and understand how this information can provide actionable insight to inform marketing decisions at the farm and other points in the supply chain. This mobile app allows producers to access market data and reports, regardless of where they are, more effectively, efficiently, and on-demand.