The International Production Assessment Division

The International Production Assessment Division (IPAD) of the USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) is responsible for global crop condition assessments and estimates of area, yield and production for grains, oilseeds and cotton. The primary mission of IPAD is to produce the most objective and accurate assessment of global agricultural production and the conditions affecting food security around the world. Regional analysts use remote sensing and Geographic Information Systems (GIS) to collect market intelligence and analyze near real-time satellite imagery data to estimate global production.