Census of Agriculture

John's World: Why Does the Ag Census Turnaround Take So Long?

Fri, 20 Nov 2020 05:24:15 GMT

Last week the USDA published to great anticipation the 2017 Ag Census. Ag media were full of colorful charts, tables of numbers, and thoughtful analysis. This will continue as economists, demographers and even amateurs like me try to line up the data to discover trends or illuminate problems.

But I have a fundamental issue with the ag census, just like I do with crop reports, and many other USDA outputs. They take far too long.

In 1997, the census of ag was shifted from the Bureau of the Census in the Department of Commerce to the USDA and NASS. For that census data were gathered from December 1997 through February of 1998, and the results were published in February 1999. This is the same schedule as you can see for the latest census - despite gigantic leaps in both computing technology and statistical science. Meanwhile, farm policy will be based on a snapshot of US agriculture that was outdated at the moment of publishing.

I wrote about this inability to improve fifteen years ago in Top Producer when I wondered why crop reports have always taken ten days to crank out, no matter whether using pencils and adding machines or the latest computers. I was told by NASS that’s what the law says, which is sorta true. The legislation sets a final deadline, but there is nothing to prevent USDA from getting faster. Other than institutionalized laziness.

Which is my entire point. Data products similar to the ag census and crop reports are not only getting better all over our government – they are getting faster. The FED in Atlanta now puts out a weekly GDP estimate. The Bureau of Economic Analysis continually adds newer user features like mapping and speedier results. The USDA failure to improve has another cost.

While I do not rant about big, bloated government, because large complex societies and economies require significant governance, my support for USDA programs and employees is tested by what I think is indolent working to contract in the case of many USDA reports. There is no reason government cannot improve, and it is in many other agencies.

I am not criticizing the accuracy, integrity, or expertise of the USDA. But to be incapable of any productivity growth over decades is nonsense. I think the census of ag could be done annually and completed in a month after gathering. If NASS can’t do it, move it back the Census Bureau, or better yet, hire a data management company that can. If contractors can build our nuclear weapons, they can count farmers. And I’ll bet they can do it faster and cheaper.

So enjoy the flood of charts and graphs, and then ask why it takes so long.

2017 Ag Census: Total Number Of U.S. Farms Declines 3%

Fri, 20 Nov 2020 05:23:53 GMT

The total number of farms in the United States declined 3% from 2012 to 2017, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s 2017 Census of Agriculture released Thursday, April 11. Since the 1997 Census of Agriculture, the number of farms in the U.S. has declined 7.8%.

The total number of farms on Dec. 31, 2017, was calculated at 2,042,220, which was 67,110 fewer than reported in the 2012 Census of Agriculture.

The Census of Agriculture is conducted every five years by USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) with information directly from farmers and ranchers. Overall, USDA said there continue to be more of the largest and smallest operations and fewer middle-sized farms. The average age of all farmers and ranchers continues to rise.

NASS found the average size of farms in 2017 was 441 acres, up slightly from 434 acres in 2012. However, the total number of land in farms in 2017 was down 1.5%, totaling slightly more than 900 million acres.

The number of farms with cropland declined 5% from 2012 to 2017, yet the number of acres farmed in crops increased 1.7% to 396.4 million acres.

While NASS found the overall number of farmers declined, the declines occurred among mid-sized farms. Both the smallest sized farms (less than 9 acres) and the largest farms (2,000 acres of more), showed increases. Farms with fewer than 9 acres (273,325 farms) increased by 18% since the 2012 census, and farms with more than 2,000 acres (85,127) increased 3.5%.

For specific crops, NASS reported a decline of nearly 13% in the number of farms growing corn, an 11% decline in the number of cotton farms, a 25% decline in farms growing sorghum for grain, and a 31% decline in the number of farms raising winter wheat for grain.

Among livestock operations, the most significant decline in number of farms was among dairies. From 2012 to 2017, NASS counted a 15% decline in operations, leaving a total of 54,599 farms with milk cows in the U.S.

Contrasting with the decline in dairy farms, both beef cattle and hog farms saw increases in total farms in the 2017 NASS numbers.

U.S. farms with hogs and pigs totaled 66,439 in 2017, a 5% increase. Farms with beef cows totaled 729,046 in 2017, a 3% increase.

U.S. farms with laying hens saw a 15% increase to 232,500. Farms with broilers and other type meat chickens sold saw a slight decline to 32,751.

Want to learn more about the data and trends from the 2017 Census of Agriculture? Visit AgWeb.com/AgCensus2017

5 Questions We Hope the 2017 Census of Ag Will Answer

Fri, 20 Nov 2020 05:23:49 GMT

It’s the Christmas of the agricultural data world, and we’re ready to dice up and deliver the naughty and nice facts about the economics of agriculture in the United States.

Two years ago, 72% of American farmers shared critical data about their operations, finances, labor, crops and livestock. Now we’re ready for the big reveal on April 11. As we wait, here are the top five questions we’re tracking.

Question 1. Who is running the farm?

2012 saw a decline in women as principal operators but a slight uptick in diversity, with increases in the number of black, Hispanic, American Indian and Asian principal operators. Average ages of farmers also climbed in 2012, from 57.1 years in 2007 to 58.3 years in 2012. And the total number of all operators took a slight dip as well, down 3.1%. What will 2017 tell us about who’s running the family farm?

Question 2: What’s the farmer’s financial outlook?

Some say the devil is in the details, and this case the detail is the crucial income/expense ratio. While agricultural sales increased 32.8% from 2007 to 2012 and income saw double-digit increases, expenses were also up—by a whopping 36.4%. Seed expenses increased 66% from 2007 to 2012, and fertilizer increased 57.6%, while labor climbed 23.4%. Will income and expenses show a continued upward march? We’d put money on it.

Question 3: What do current hog operations look like?

“I am interested in the shift of hog operation numbers and also where growth has been located,” says Jennifer Shike, Editor of Farm Journal’s PORK. “With disease pressure, I’m curious where those operations are moving to within the U.S. I’m also interested in ag labor numbers and how those demographics have changed since 2012.”

Question 4: How have dairy herd demographics changed?

“I want to know how the herd demographics have shifted and regionalities as well,” says Mike Opperman, Editor, Farm Journal’s MILK and Dairy Editorial Director. “I think it will help support our theory that certain areas of the country are ‘drying up,’ while others are growing significantly.”

Question 5: Is consolidation continuing in the beef market?

“From the beef industry perspective, the 2012 census counted 727,000 producers, with 10% owning 100 cows or more. That meant 10% of the operations controlled 55% of the cows,” says Greg Henderson, Drovers Editorial Director. “We expect the 2017 numbers to show more consolidation, with more of the cows falling into herds with more than 100 cows.”

What are your burning questions? Share yours with us here.

Related articles:
Take a look back at the 2012 Census data.

Check out dairy’s top 10 job-generating states .

See how many farms were family-owned in 2012.

High on the Hog: Census Shows Hog Operations on the Rise

Thu, 19 Nov 2020 03:20:57 GMT

The 2017 Census of Agriculture shows the number of hogs produced in the United States is climbing, and the number of hog operations is on the rise for the first time since 1935. Here’s a snapshot of the numbers:

Want to learn more about the data and trends from the 2017 Census of Agriculture? Visit AgWeb.com/AgCensus2017 .

Related Articles:

U.S. Hog Farms Increase For First Time Since 1935

5 Questions We Hope the 2017 Census of Ag Will Answer