Crop Yield Forecasting

Chapter 5
Crop Yield Forecasting in the United States of America............................ 151
1. Crop yield forecast data made available for the USA 151
1.1. Brief description 151
1.2. Inventory of forecasts available, by source 153
1.3. Release calendars: punctuality and timeliness 155
1.4. How do these different forecasts compare? Purpose, coverage,
scale and harmonization issues, and accuracy 156
2. The USA’s official national sources: methodology and practices 156
2.1. Description of the general yield forecasting methodology 156
2.2. Relevant practices for data collection 157
2.3. Relevant practices for data sharing and analysis, harmonization,
and integration 162
2.4. Human, financial, and technical infrastructure 163
2.5. Institutional structure and sustainability 163
2.6. Innovation and integration with regional and global initiatives 163
3. Linking up with crop production forecasts: the practices
followed by the USA’s official national sources 164
3.1. Which area data is used? The methodology used 164
3.2. Release calendars: timeliness 164
3.3. Human, financial, and technical infrastructure 165
3.4. Institutional structure and sustainability 165
Crop Yield Forecasting: Methodological and Institutional Aspects 7