USDA will keep new mid-day release time for crop-related reports

* USDA begins midday release of reports in January

WASHINGTON Jan 30 (Reuters) - The U.S. Department of Agriculture will stick to its newly adopted schedule of releasing major U.S. crop-related reports at midday, a senior official said on Wednesday, despite a decision by Chicago exchanges to shorten the trading day.

Chief economist Joe Glauber said USDA spent months in consultations with the farm and agribusiness sector before adopting the new schedule "and we have no further plans to change our current release schedule."