U.S. Delays Key Agriculture Reports Due to Government Shutdown

According to Reuters, the U.S. Department of Agriculture delayed several major U.S. and world crop reports because of the two-week-old partial government shutdown. The USDA said that new release dates for the monthly World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates report will be set once government funding is restored. Traders regard the supply and demand report as the gold standard for crop forecasts. Farmers also rely on the data to make their planting and harvesting plans.