Fact book of agriculture

194 Pages·1991·9.7 MB·English

by  United States. Department of Agriculture. Office of Public Affairs (1989- )

document
Historic, archived
Do not assume content reflects current
scientific knowledge, policies, or practices

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Number 1063
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1990 FACT BOOK OF AGRICULTURE
Office of Public Affairs
Miscellaneous Publication No. 1063
United States Department ofAgriculture
Revised April 1991
PREFACE
The 1990 FACT BOOKOFAGRICULTURE is intended as a resourceof
information forreporters, editorial writers, farm organization leaders,
agribusiness managers, students, and otherswhostudy, speak, and write
aboutagriculture.
The contents ofthis bookare organizedto reflectthe structure of modern
U.S. agriculture and provide information on its recent history, especially as
itpertainsto statisticsgatheredthiscentury. The majorsubdivisions are
thefollowing:
I. THE U.S. FOOD AND FIBER SECTORdealswith costs offood, food
services and distribution, food expenditures and prices, thefarm-to-retail
price spread, and percapitafood consumption.
II. FARM PRODUCTION, INCOME, AND VALUESdealswith the various
inputsforagriculture, anddiscussesthem in moredetail in separate
chapterson land, water, farm labor, andfarm machinery. Italsotalks about
farm expenses, fertilizer, livestockand poultryfeed, agricultural creditfor
housing and electricity and otheritems, farm production adjustmentand
income and pricesupportprogramsforfarmers, the grain reserve program,
and livestockemergencyfeed. It also includes a newchaptershowing the
importanceofthe honeybees' inputtothe economy.
III. THE FARMING OPERATION coversthefarm business itself in
variousterms, describingthefarming region, howfarms and lands are
divided, farms bysalesclasses, family-controlled farming, landtenure and
farm ownership, contractfarming andvertical integration, andthe rise of
U.S. production.
IV. GLOBALAGRICULTURE gives asnapshotof international trade
matters, such asthe GATT, asthey affect U.S. farmers, USDA'sexport
marketservices, future markets abroadforworldtrade expansion, U.S.
responsestoworld hunger, the balance of international payments, and how
U.S. agricultural production compareswiththatofothercountries.
V. RURAL DEVELOPMENTpertainstothe rural population and social
problemsofsmallertowns andthe open country.
VI. PROTECTING THE ENVIRONMENT: SOIL, WATER, PLANTS,
BIRDS, ANIMALS mainlydealswith activitiesofthe U.S. Departmentof
Agriculture and otherGovernmentand private agenciesthat regulatethe
protection ofsoil andwaterand helpsavefood andfiberfrom pests. This
section includesa newchapteremphasizing USDAeffortstoenhancethe
Nation'swaterquality. USDA agencies also protect livestockand certain
animalscaredforby humans undercertain specified conditions.
VII. FOOD MARKETING, PROTECTION, AND DISTRIBUTION de-
scribesthecompetitive system thatconvertsfarm commodities into safe
consumerproducts readyforusecommercially andforcharity in homes,
restaurants, and institutions, including local social welfare organizations
and groups ofAmerican Indians and Alaska Natives. The system handles
products from farmerto consumer as well as consumer education, advertis-
ing, and other elements of marketing.
VIII. RESEARCH AND EDUCATION tells about USDA's scientific
agricultural research, information sources such as the National Agricultural
Library, and small-scale agriculture activities, and has a chapter on biotech-
nology.
More detailed tabulations will be found in AGRICULTURAL STATISTICS,
revised yearly. AGRICULTURAL STATISTICS is for sale by the Superinten-
dent of Documents. U.S. Government Printing Office. Washington. DC
20402. Other selected references are listed on page 159.
Another annual source of information about agriculture is the YEARBOOK
OF AGRICULTURE. Individual copies usually are available from U.S.
Members of Congress. Copies otherwise are available from the Superinten-
dent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office. Washington, DC
20402, including back issues.
THE FACT BOOK OF U.S. AGRICULTURE is a publication ofthe Office
of Public Affairs. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Washington, DC 20250.
A great deal of thanks goes to George Holcomb. the editor ofthe 1990
Fact Book of Agriculture. His meticulous coordination of the wide variety of
materials is deeply appreciated.
Kelly M. Shipp,
Director of Public Affairs and Press Secretary
Eligibilityforparticipation in all programsadministered bythe U.S. Department
ofAgriculture isestablished by lawwithout regard to race, color, national
origin, sex, age, mental orphysical handicap, orreligion. Ifyou feel you have
been denied the benefitsofany USDA program on anyofthesegrounds, write
directlytotheSecretaryofAgriculture,Washington, DC 20250.
in
.
CONTENTS
PREFACE
ii
INTRODUCTION
1
I. THE U.S. FOOD AND FIBER SECTOR 6
1 Costof Food Services and Distribution 6
2. Food Expenditures and Prices 6
3. Farm-Retail Price Spread 8
4. PerCapita Food Consumption 8
FARM PRODUCTION, INCOME, AND VALUES 10
II.
5. InputsforAgriculture 10
6. Land 10
7. Water 11
8. Farm Labor 12
9. Farm Machinery 13
10. Farm Expenses 14
11. Fertilizer 19
12. Livestockand Poultry Feed 19
13. Agricultural Credit 21
14. The Balance Sheet 28
15. Farm Income 29
16. Farm Production Adjustments 32
17. Income and Price Support Programs 34
18. Grain Reserve Program 35
19. Emergency Livestock Feed 35
20. Bees and Honey 36
THE FARMING OPERATION 38
III.
21. Farming Regions 38
22. Farms and Land in Farms 39
23. Farms by Sales Classes 39
24. Family-Controlled Farming 42
25. Land Tenure 43
26. Farmland Ownership 44
27. Contract Farming and Vertical Integration 45
28. Rise of U.S. Production 46
IV. GLOBALAGRICULTURE 48
29. Foreign Trade (Exports) 48
30. Trade Blocs 49
31. Export Expansion Activities 51
32. Future MarketsAbroad forWorld Trade Expansion 53
33. U.S. Responseto World Hunger 56
iv
34. Foreign Trade (Imports) 56
35. Balance of Payments 56
36. Comparing Other Countries With This One 57
V. RURAL DEVELOPMENT 60
37. Rural Population 60
38. Age and Race 60
39. Nonmetropolitan Employment 61
40. Rural Income and Poverty 62
41. Local Governments 63
42. Federal Funding for Rural Area Development 65
43. Recreation 65
44. Rural Public Services 66
VI. PROTECTING THE ENVIRONMENT: SOIL, WATER, PLANTS,
BIRDS, ANIMALS 68
45. Soil and Water Conservation 68
46. Conservation Programs Underthe 1985 and 1990 Farm Bills..69
47. Enhancing the Nation's WaterQuality 72
48. Great Plains Conservation Program 74
49. Other USDA Conservation and WaterQuality Programs 74
50. Forest Management 76
51. Protection and Quarantine 81
52. Pesticides and Integrated Pest Management 83
53. Animal Damage Control 88
54. Veterinary Services 89
55. Animal Care 90
VII. FOOD PROTECTION, MARKETING, AND DISTRIBUTION 92
56. Meat and Poultry Inspection 92
57. Egg Products Inspection 93
58. Food Purchase Programs 93
59. Food Assistance Programs 94
60. Marketing Improvement 96
61. Research and Promotion Programs 97
62. Marketing Orders 98
63. Agricultural Transportation 99
64. Market Regulatory Laws 100
65. Market News 101
66. Federal Grading Programs 102
67. Federal Grain Inspection 103
68. Meat, Poultry, and Livestock Marketing Regulations 104
69. Farmer Cooperatives 104
VIII. RESEARCH AND EDUCATION 106
70. Agricultural Research 106
71. Global Change Research Initiative 111
72. Biotechnology 111
73. Future Agricultural Scientists 113
74. Human Nutrition Research and Education 114
75. National Agricultural Statistics 116
76. Agricultural Economics 116
77. Agricultural Information—The National Agricultural Library ....117
78. Cooperative Extension System 118
79. Small-ScaleAgriculture 120
APPENDIX USDATABLES OFAGRICULTURAL INFORMATION 122
I. ...
APPENDIX TABLES ON PROJECTS FOR
II.
WATER QUALITY ENHANCEMENT 142
APPENDIX METRIC CONVERSION CHART 147
III.
APPENDIX IV. GLOSSARY 149
APPENDIX V. SELECTED REFERENCES 159
APPENDIXVI. USDA'S COMPUTERIZED
INFORMATION SERVICE 166
APPENDIX VII. HOWTO GET INFORMATION FROM USDA 167
VI