USDA sets new release time for big agricultural reports

The U.S. government plans to change the release time of major agricultural reports to midday, when commodity trading is in full swing, instead of current early morning releases when light trading volumes can exaggerate price moves, the Department of Agriculture said on Wednesday.

The new release times, which begin in January, affect the U.S. crop report and five other major agricultural reports. Adoption of around-the-clock futures trading prompted the decision.