The National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) has corrected corn data in its September 2026 Crop Production report after identifying a processing error. The mistake affected corn plant populations, ear counts, yields, and production figures for Kansas and Nebraska, which were initially reported in the October 9 Crop Production Report.
The error has had significant financial repercussions for corn growers, costing them billions of dollars in market value. This comes at a challenging time when profit margins are already tight, and input costs like fuel are at record highs. Corn prices have dropped since the release of the flawed report and continue to decline.
In response, Matt Frostic, a Michigan farmer and president of the National Corn Growers Association, criticized the error as unacceptable. He emphasized that such mistakes further erode farmer confidence in NASS's ability to produce accurate reports. Frostic called on NASS to review its processes and take immediate action to prevent future errors.
The National Corn Growers Association has expressed eagerness to meet with NASS to discuss plans for improvement and to rebuild trust in the agency's reporting.