SiteCheck Web Intel

USDA AMS Market News: search the catalogue of livestock

search_usda_market_news

Read-only

USDA AMS Market News (official MyMarketNews API): search the catalogue of livestock, grain, dairy, fruit/vegetable and other market reports by title, or pass a report slug id to get its latest published rows (prices, volumes, report date). Data straight from USDA; needs the owner's free MARS API key. Price: $0.002 in USDC per successful call, paid with x402 (Base, Solana or Arc); failed calls are not charged.

Tool call template

This tool declares no required parameters. Add optional parameters from the input schema as needed.

{
  "id": 1,
  "jsonrpc": "2.0",
  "method": "tools/call",
  "params": {
    "arguments": {},
    "name": "search_usda_market_news"
  }
}

Input Schema

Name	Required	Description
`q`	No	Words that must all appear in the report title (catalogue search; optional, max 100 characters)
`slug`	No	Report slug id (number from the catalogue, e.g. 3926) to get its latest report: header, narrative and data rows instead of searching
`limit`	No	How many reports or rows, 1 to 200 (default 25)
`section`	No	With slug: which report section to return rows from, e.g. "Report Details" (default: the first section after the header; the catalogue lists each report's sections)

Output Schema

Name	Required	Description	Default
`q`	No
`count`	No
`total`	No
`source`	No
`reports`	No
`checkedAt`	No

Schema Changelog

Changes observed during successful MCP inspections.

First observedOct 23, 2026

TDQS

A4.6/5.0

Behavior5/5

Does the description disclose side effects, auth requirements, rate limits, or destructive behavior?

Beyond the readOnlyHint/openWorldHint annotations, the description discloses the auth requirement (owner's free MARS API key), the payment mechanics ('$0.002 in USDC per successful call, paid with x402 on Base, Solana or Arc'), and that failed calls are not charged. These are material operational facts an agent cannot infer from structured fields.

Agents need to know what a tool does to the world before calling it. Descriptions should go beyond structured annotations to explain consequences.

Conciseness4/5

Is the description appropriately sized, front-loaded, and free of redundancy?

It is a single dense, front-loaded passage with no filler; every clause carries purpose, mode routing, provenance, auth or cost. Parenthetical stacking makes it slightly heavy to scan, but nothing is redundant.

Shorter descriptions cost fewer tokens and are easier for agents to parse. Every sentence should earn its place.

Completeness5/5

Given the tool's complexity, does the description cover enough for an agent to succeed on first attempt?

An output schema exists, so return values need not be spelled out, yet the description still signals what comes back (prices, volumes, report date). Combined with auth, pricing and mode routing, an agent has everything needed to decide to call and to construct a valid call.

Complex tools with many parameters or behaviors need more documentation. Simple tools need less. This dimension scales expectations accordingly.

Parameters4/5

Does the description clarify parameter syntax, constraints, interactions, or defaults beyond what the schema provides?

Schema coverage is 100%, so the baseline is 3, but the description adds genuine meaning: it frames q as catalogue-title search and slug as a mode switch producing header, narrative and data rows rather than a search. The section defaulting behavior is left mostly to the schema, keeping this from a 5.

Input schemas describe structure but not intent. Descriptions should explain non-obvious parameter relationships and valid value ranges.

Purpose5/5

Does the description clearly state what the tool does and how it differs from similar tools?

The description states a specific verb and resource ('search the catalogue of livestock, grain, dairy, fruit/vegetable and other market reports') and explicitly covers both call modes: title search via the catalogue, or slug lookup returning latest published rows with prices, volumes and report date. It also names the source (official MyMarketNews API), which differentiates it from the generic news-article search siblings.

Agents choose between tools based on descriptions. A clear purpose with a specific verb and resource helps agents select the right tool.

Usage Guidelines4/5

Does the description explain when to use this tool, when not to, or what alternatives exist?

It clearly routes between the two usage modes, tying 'q' to catalogue search and 'slug' to retrieving a specific report's rows, and notes the catalogue lists each report's sections so the agent knows where the slug comes from. It does not explicitly contrast itself with adjacent siblings (e.g. other news/report search tools), so it falls short of the 5 bar.

Agents often have multiple tools that could apply. Explicit usage guidance like "use X instead of Y when Z" prevents misuse.

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