Stop by Booth 1900 at the ESRI User Conference August 4-7 to learn more about the GDA Applications with Resourcesat Imagery
 
GREENBELT, MD, 29 July 2008 – ASRC Management Services (ASRC MS) of Greenbelt, MD, managers of the Prime Vendor Contract (PVC) effort for the USDA Foreign Agricultural Service, Office of Global Analysis (OGA), International Production Assessment Division, IPAD (formally known as PECAD), announces Geospatial Data Analysis Corporation (GDA Corp.) of State College, PA has recently added new products to the Prime Vendor Contract.  GDA will be providing the USDA FAS with on-line product crop related monthly reports. To accommodate the various informational and usage requirements of USDA FAS, GDA will offer two efficient and easy-to-use interfaces to its online yield forecast service: a website interface that allows clients to run customized yield forecasts at any time on demand, and a yield forecast reporting service that delivers consolidated executive-summary yield forecasts on a pre-determined schedule.
 
OGA/IPAD is responsible for global crop condition assessments and estimates of area, yield, and production for grains, oilseeds, and cotton. Their primary mission is to target, collect, analyze, and disseminate timely, objective, useful, and cost-effective global crop condition and agricultural market intelligence information.  One of OGA’s key missions is to provide unbiased commodity estimates and forecasts to create a marketing edge for U.S. producers in world markets.  (Source: USDA and NASA) The Prime Vendor Contract vehicle allows them to obtain agriculture analysis data products using satellite imagery and ancillary information quickly and cost effectively. Robert Tetrault, USDA FAS, Satellite Imagery Archive Manager, stated, “The use of the GDA, Corp. on-line product provides the analysts with additional product inputs for the convergence of evidence needed to allow them to prepare in a timely manner for their stringent monthly reporting deadlines”.
 
Dr. Bradley Doorn, remote sensing coordinator for the FAS IPAD stated, “The Prime Vendor Contract has allowed us to be much more efficient and to make the best use of every dollar the taxpayer gives us.” FAS requests from ASRC MS which type of data product they need. Then ASRC MS obtains quotes from the vendors on the Prime Vendor Contract list for the final data products required.  “The Prime Vendor Contract helps the USDA achieve our goal – which is to have a contract in place that allows us to access products provided by the commercial industry and by which we receive the best price and performance possible. This on-line product provided by GDA, Corp. further enhances our ability to fulfill our mission,” stated Dr. Doorn.
 
GDA Corp. provides crop-related intelligence data products for all major regions across the globe for all major commodity crops. This data is derived from sophisticated analysis of domestic and international crops with satellite imagery. GDA delivers crop specific end-of-season yield forecasts at national and sub-national levels for the current growing season and its comparison to historical yield statistics. GDA yield forecasts are supported by a proprietary global crop database that includes historical statistics and constantly updated current data from across the globe.
 
GDA specializes in assessments of crop acreage, health, status and change over time, and on forecasts of crop conditions, yield, and production at sub-national levels. GDA focuses on operational delivery of analytical intelligence that improves the timeliness and accuracy of current and projected crop commodity information.
 
ASRC MS, President, Tim Lewis stated, “GDA’s new on-line product series is an important addition to the Prime Vendor Contract not only for the USDA but in terms of the advancement this product series offers the agricultural food supply community globally.”
 
ASRC Management Services, a subsidiary of Alaska’s Arctic Slope Regional Corp., has several contracts in its portfolio for providing various management and support activities with government agencies including USDA, NASA, and USGS. ASRC Management Services is an 8(a) Alaskan Native-owned Corporation that provides a full array of GIS consulting and design services, ASRC Management Services specializes in enterprise needs assessments, and ongoing geodatabase and GIS maintenance, which requires extensive and specialized knowledge of the GIS software, computer networking, database systems and GIS-related technologies such as global positioning systems (GPS) and mobile mapping applications.  ASRC Management Services provides GIS business solutions that use the most appropriate and cost effective technologies to achieve both short and long term goals for clients and works with clients to continually identify improvements that will positively affect their business operations.
 
About GDA Corp:
GDA data supports critical, time sensitive decision making and enhances the ability of agro-businesses and commodity traders to rapidly respond to and capitalize on emerging market opportunities both nationally and globally.  Established in 2002 through a Small Business Innovative Research (SBIR) award out of NASA’s Stennis Space Center, GDA Corp. has grown over the years into a full-service GIS and Remote Sensing R&D and product/service firm on the cutting-edge of geospatial technology. For more information contact Stephanie Hulina at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it or call 814-237-4060. http:www.gdacorp.com .
 
About ASRC MS:
Established in 1972 Arctic Slope Regional Corporation provides a wide range of capabilities in the commercial and government sectors with lines of business in:  Aerospace, Base and Range Operations, Construction,  Security, Engineering, Professional Services, Communications,  Information Technology Services, Field Services and GIS and Geospatial Services. ASRC MS is responsible for the management and development of the Prime Vendor Contract in coordination with the USDA FAS team. For more information contact Don Brown, Program Manager, ASRC MS at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it or call 202-720-6593 J. Edward Kunz, ASRC MS Geospatial Program Manager, This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it or call 301-837-5354.
 
About USDA FAS:
USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) has the primary responsibility for USDA’s international activities—market development, trade agreements and negotiations, and the collection and analysis of statistics and market information.  As such a primary mission of FAS is to target, collect, analyze, and disseminate timely, objective, useful, and cost-effective global crop condition and agricultural production information. The purpose is to provide unbiased commodity estimates and forecasts to create a marketing edge for U.S. producers in world markets. For more information contact Dr. Bradley Doorn, Technical Remote Sensing Coordinator at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it or call 202-690-0131.