The U.S. Department of Agriculture faced pressure from Senate Democrats on Sunday to explain a significant overstatement in beef export sales. The lawmakers said producers relied on the flawed data to make critical business decisions.

Senate Democrats, led by members of the Agriculture Committee, wrote to the USDA on Saturday requesting details on the cause of the discrepancy in the department's weekly export sales report. They asked whether internal controls failed and when the department first detected the mistake.

The export sales report is closely tracked by traders, ranchers and grain merchants, who use the figures to gauge foreign demand. An inflated beef sales number can move cattle futures prices and shape planting and marketing decisions across rural states.

A USDA spokesperson said the department was reviewing the correspondence and would respond to the senators. Farm groups, including the National Cattlemen's Beef Association, called for a full accounting of how the data was compiled and verified.

The dispute has raised broader questions about staffing and reporting reliability at the USDA following budget reductions. Democratic senators signaled they would seek a briefing before Congress returns from its August recess.