>>
>> 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.
>>
>> -X-
>>
>>
Ray R. Weil
Professor of Soil Science
1103 H.J. Patterson Hall
University of Maryland
College Park, MD 20742
USA
telephone: 301 405 1314
FAX: 301 314 9041
e-mail: rw17@umail.umd.edu