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Daily Reporter
Preliminary figures for the 2012 Census of Agriculture show that Ohio is doing better than the nation as a whole when it comes to value of its crops.
In several cases, Ohio’s growth significantly outpaced the nation, highlighting the strength of the state’s agricultural producers, according to the United States Department of Agriculture.
Among the most notable results in the preliminary data is the increase in the market value of crops and livestock sold since the census was last completed in 2007.
While market value numbers increased 32.78 percent nationally, the value of Ohio crops and livestock increased 42.28 percent.
This is primarily due to a sharp increase in crop values, which increased in Ohio by 60.54 percent but only 47.85 percent nationally.
Ohio is ranked 13th nationally with a total value of crop and livestock sales just over $10 billion in 2012.
A final version of the report is scheduled to be released in May.
“The preliminary data shows what we have known for years. Ohio’s $105 billion food and agriculture industry is built upon a strong and thriving agricultural production base,” said Ohio Agriculture Director David Daniels.
While the number of farms has decreased both in Ohio and in the nation, Ohio has lost only 0.5 percent of its farms when the number of farms nationally has decreased by 4.3 percent.
Ohio ranks seventh for the number of farms in the nation with 75,462.
“Our farmers are the backbone of our state’s economic growth and this data shows us they are working harder than ever to provide our state with a safe, wholesome and abundant food supply,” said Daniels.
Also, in a time when farm acres are disappearing, with the nation losing about 7.5 million acres of farmland since the 2007 census, the numbers of acres in agricultural production in Ohio have remained steady and actually increased slightly.
The state now has 13.96 million acres of farmland.
“One of the most important takeaways to remember about the Census of Agriculture is that the information is used for decision-making by producers as well as all those who serve farmers and rural communities — federal, state and local governments, agribusinesses, trade associations and many others,” said USDA State Statistician Cheryl Turner. “When we look at the data for our state, we can all use it as a snapshot in time to see how Ohio agriculture is changing over time and how we compare to the rest of the country.”
The Census of Agriculture is a complete count, taken every five years by the USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service, of America’s farms and ranches and the people who operate them.
A couple of notable changes were highlighted in the preliminary report, including the fact that in 2012, crop sales of $212.4 billion exceeded livestock sales of $182.2 billion.
It’s only the second time in Census history that’s occurred. The other time was in 1974.
Also, between 2007 and 2012, per farm average value of sales increased from $134,807 to $187,093, continuing a steady 30-year upward trend.
The increase of $52,286 was the largest rise in Census history.
The 2012 Census also showed principal farm operators are becoming older and more diverse, following the trend of previous censuses.
In 2012, the average age of a principal farm operator was 58.3 years, up 1.2 years since 2007, and continuing a 30-year trend of steady increase.
The Census also accounted for more minority-operated farms in 2012 than in 2007.
In 2012, the United States had 2.1 million farms — down 4.3 percent from the previous Census in 2007.
In terms of farm size by acres, this continues an overall downward trend in mid-sized farms, while the smallest and largest-size farms held steady, according to the report.
More information on the Census of Agriculture, including a copy of the preliminary results, can be viewed at www.agcensus.usda.gov.