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Public Information Office CB96-131
301-457-3030/301-457-3670 (fax)
301-457-4067 (TDD)
e-mail: pio@census.gov
Agriculture and Financial
Statistics Division
800-523-3215
NUMBER OF NATION'S LARGE FARMS INCREASES WHILE
OVERALL FARM TOTAL DECLINES IN LAST QUARTER
CENTURY, CENSUS BUREAU REPORTS
The number of America's large farms--those with sales of
$100,000 or more--grew sixfold in the past 25 years, increasing
from 51,995 in 1969 to 333,865 in 1992, according to an
Agricultural Brief, Large Farms Are Thriving in the United
States, AB/96-1, released today by the Commerce Department's
Census Bureau. During this same time span, the total number of
farms declined from 2.7 million in 1969 to 1.9 million in 1992.
"Large farms are more likely than small farms to be
operated by full-time farmers, receive government payments, be
organized as corporations, and generate large returns," said
Jeff Kissel, a Census Bureau analyst.
In 1992, large farms comprised less than 20 percent of all
the nation's farms. However, they operated 54 percent of the
total land in farm use and produced approximately 83 percent of
all farm products sold.
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