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reporting, private reporting firms would quickly fill the gap. 



FAS reports on the cotton situation in 39 countries. We found , 

 that the cotton reports do serve to support USDA programs and ,. 

 provide data helpful to U.S. exporters. However, we also found , 

 that the reports often contain far more detail than is necessary 

 to meet their objectives. FAS has recently introduced "truncated 

 reports," in which attaches provide only the basic data and a few 

 pages of narrative discussing major changes; 8 of its 39 cotton- 

 reporting posts are allowed to do truncated reports. Our 

 discussions with the users of the cotton reports indicate that 

 FAS could considerably expand the use of truncated reporting and 

 still adequately meet the information needs of both USDA and the 

 cotton industry. . 



Furthermore, FAS does not make the most efficient use of the 

 information it collects. Despite the great advances in 

 Information technology that have occurred over the years, FAS 

 still communicates information to U.S. agriculture primarily 

 through written circulars. FAS makes only limited use of 

 electronic information technology to deliver data to industry. 

 Industry users told us that the data that are available 

 electronically are often not easily accessible or timely. 



FAS has recently undertaken a major review of its reporting and 

 has tentatively proposed a new reporting schedule. The new 

 schedule cuts the reporting burden for some of its overseas posts 

 but increases reporting for others. In addition, it shifts some 

 reporting from bulk commodities to high-value products, an 

 increasingly important share of agricultural exports. 



We believe the new schedule is a step in the right direction in 

 its efforts to streamline reporting requirements and make them 

 more useful. However, we think that FAS' reporting review did 

 not go far enough. The agency did not adequately evaluate the 



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