Idaho Farm Bureau president meets with secretary of ag during secure NASS event

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Idaho Farm Bureau Federation President Bryan Searle, American Farm Bureau President Zippy Duvall and other state Farm Bureau presidents joined Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue Sept. 12 during one of USDA’s ultra-secure “Lockup” events.

Some of the particularly sensitive crop and livestock reports released by USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service are prepared and released in a so-called Lockup environment. The environment is highly secure and ensures there is no early access to sensitive information contained in the report that would give people an unfair advantage in trading on the commodities market.

On Sept. 12, several American and Idaho Farm Bureau leaders were among about 50 people invited to attend one of these Lockup events before the release of one of NASS’ reports on crop progress and world stocks.

The estimates prepared and released during a Lockup event are protected by a comprehensive set of physical and electronic security measures and not even the secretary of agriculture knows the contents of a report until he enters the Lockup area to sign the report just before it is released.

“It’s a pretty secure environment,” Searle said after the event, which was followed by a private lunch with Perdue. “We went through several doors to get there.”

He said Farm Bureau leaders appreciated the opportunity to speak directly with the secretary of agriculture.

USDA “values the input of Farm Bureau,” Searle said. “And Farm Bureau appreciates the invitation and opportunity to attend an event like this, speak directly to the secretary of agriculture and offer our input.”