An increase in the value of agricultural products sold in the U.S. and a slight decrease in the number of farms and land in farms were reported by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) in the 2012 Census of Agriculture preliminary results.
Continuing a steady 30-year upward trend, per farm average value of sales increased from $134,807 to $187,093. This was the largest increase in census history. The amount of land devoted to agricultural production declined from 922 million acres in 2007 to 914.6 million in 2012.
The results also showed agriculture is becoming more diverse, accounting for more minority-operated farms in 2012 than in 2007.
Preliminary results are a first look at the data, and the final results are expected to be published in May. Additional results are available at www.agcensus.usda.gov.