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  • From: "Tradingpost" <tradingpost@lobo.net>
  • To: livingontheland@lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: [Livingontheland] U.S. farms getting bigger, but number falling
  • Date: Fri, 07 Mar 2008 08:01:52 -0700



U.S. farms getting bigger, but number falling
http://southwestfarmpress.com/news/farm-numbers-0306/

Mar 6, 2008 10:14 AM, By Elton Robinson
Farm Press Editorial Staff

The number of farms in the United States continues to fall, while the average
size of farms continues to grow, according to a report by USDA’s National
Agricultural Statistics Service.

The February reports estimated 2.08 million farms operating in the United
States in 2007, 0.6 percent fewer than in 2006. Total land in farms, at 930.9
million acres, decreased 1.5 million acres, or 0.16 percent, from 2006. The
average farm size was 449 acres during 2007, an increase of 3 acres from the
previous year. The decline in the number of farms and land in farms reflects
a continuing consolidation in farming operations and diversion of
agricultural land to non-agricultural uses.

According to NASS, farm numbers declined in the $1,000 - $9,999 and $10,000 -
$99,999 sales classes. The classes represent a sum of agricultural sales and
farm program payments. Farm numbers rose slightly in the three largest sales
classes, which topped at $100,000, $250,000 and $500,000.

The changes within the sales classes were a result of operations moving to
larger sales classes by consolidation or expansion and rising incomes as
result of strong commodity prices. Because of rising incomes, many farms and
ranches near the top of their sales class in 2006 moved into the next higher
sales class in 2007 without adding land or otherwise expanding their
operations, according to NASS.

The largest percentage changes from 2006 occurred in the smallest and largest
sales classes. Farm numbers declined 1.5 percent, to 1.14 million farms, in
the $1,000 - $9,999 sales class. Meanwhile, farm numbers increased 4.4
percent, to 84,970 farms, in the $500,000 and over sales class. The number of
farms with less than $100,000 in sales fell 1.2 percent from 2006 while the
number of farms with $100,000 or more in sales rose 2.2 percent.

Land in farms also shifted from lower sales classes to higher sales classes.
In the $1,000 - $9,999 sales class, land in farms dropped 1.6 percent, to
112.8 million acres, while land operated by farms in the largest sales class,
$500,000 and over in sales, increased 1.8 percent, to 217.3 million acres.

Overall, the average farm size increased 3 acres in 2007. However, average
farm sizes declined in some of the sales classes due to smaller farms moving
up to higher sales classes.

The number of farms with sales of $1,000 or more in Puerto Rico was 13,500 in
2007, down 100 farms from 2006. Land in farms, at 600,000 acres, is down
10,000 acres from the previous year. The average farm size in Puerto Rico in
2007 was estimated at 44 acres.

NASS says there were 967,440 cattle operations in 2007, down slightly from
2006 and 2 percent below 2005. Beef cow operations were down 1 percent from
2006 and 2 percent below 2005. Milk cow operations were 5 percent below last
year and 9 percent below two years ago.

The number of hog operations, 65,640, is down slightly from 2006 and down 2
percent from 2005. Operations with 2,000 or more head accounted for 82
percent of the inventory.

There were 70,590 sheep farms in 2007, up 2 percent from 2006 and up 3
percent from 2005. The number of operations with goats totaled 108,130 during
2007, up 4 percent from 2006. Angora goat operations totaled 4,550, down 4
percent from 2006. Milk goat operations totaled 19,930, up slightly from
2006. Meat goat operations totaled 90,270, up 4 percent from 2006.




  • [Livingontheland] U.S. farms getting bigger, but number falling, Tradingpost, 03/07/2008

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