Weather is one of the key factors affecting prospects for crop production and commodity prices. In 1978 the World Board and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration formed the Joint Agricultural Weather Facility (JAWF). Housed at USDA, JAWF monitors the weather and assesses its likely impact on crops around the world. Regular briefings by Board experts are an important information source for USDA commodity forecasters as well as for the Secretary of Agriculture and other top officials at the Department.
