MMM 383

March 10, 1999

The latest agricultural census was recently released by USDA-National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS). This is based on 1997 survey data and is the most comprehensive study of the South Carolina farming sector; it is completed on a five-year basis. For comparative purposes, 1997, 1992 and 1987, selected data are shown in the following table.

Some of the table data were also calculated/presented in other forms than the original census statistics. For example, "Farms by Size" and "Farms by Value of Sales" are reported as percentages instead of the actual number. Total Value of Land and Buildings and Market Value of All Machinery/Equipment were derived by the Average Value Per Farm times the Number of Farms. The right-most column of the table contains a "c" for those values that have been calculated.

The typical initial issue is the definition of a farm. A "farm" is defined as: "any establishment from which $1,000 or more of agricultural products were sold or would normally be sold during the year." In the past, there have been differences in the scope of what is a farm as the Census and NASS differed in what should be considered as a farm. For example, previous Census considered Christmas tree production units as farms while NASS did not. This meant there were some variations in numbers according to source although the census definition has remained constant. Since this is the first Agricultural Census that was collected and calculated by NASS, this definition will be consistent in the future.

Another issue was the state 1992 to 1997 increase of Land in Farms. This measure is not static and land can move into or out of this category across time. For example, it does not include commercial forestry land that was not located on a farm; it also would not include fallow/other land that was not part of a farm.

Based on the latest census, South Carolina agriculture became more productive and underwent significant change during this most recent five-year period. The calculated total value of land/ buildings and machinery/equipment was near $7.5 bil. as compared to $5.7 bil. in 1992. The market value of all products increased by about $500 mil. ($1.588 bil. vs. $1.066 bil.) from 1992 to 1997; this was more than a $20,000 increase per farm. A larger proportion of this increase came from livestock and products (over 50 percent) as compared to crops/nursery/greenhouse; most of this growth in livestock was poultry.

In considering structure, Farms by Size did not change significantly by the percent within size categories. The 1997 total Number of Farms was near the same level as 1992 and 1987 while Land in Farms was larger but Cropland as Percent of Farm Acres declined. The Average Size of Farm increased from 221 to 228 acres between the latest two census periods. Farms by Value of Sales were over 40 percent (1997) in the Less than $2,500 grouping as compared to 36 percent in 1992 and 1987. Farms with sales of $100,000 or more also increased from 10 percent of all farms in 1992 to 11.3 percent in 1997. There were also more part-time farmers as Operators by Principal Occupation and Other was over 60 percent in 1997. In addition, Operators by Days Worked Off Farm also increased for both the "Any" and "200 Days or More" categories.

There continued to be an increase in female farm operators as nearly 10 percent of 1997 operators were in this category as compared to 8 percent in 1992 and less than 7 percent in 1987. The percent minority farm operators continued to decline over time (1997, 7.4 percent; 1992, 9.0 percent, 1987, 9.9 percent). The average age of operator also tended upward and reached 56.3 years in 1997.

Market value of Agricultural Products Sold increased over $500 mil. during the most recent five-year period; this value was over $1.5 bil. in 1997 while the average per farm was $78,665. The change in Total Farm Production Expenses more than doubled from the 1992 to 1997 period as contrasted with the 1987 to 1992 interval. Total 1997 farm expenses for the state were over $1.2 bil. as compared to $.897 bil. in 1992 and $.737 bil. in 1987. Net Cash Returns Agricultural Sales for the Farm Unit were likewise more than doubled during the latest period -- this per farm value moved from less than $8,000 in 1992 to over $16,000 in 1997.

South Carolina agriculture has undergone critical changes. Based on the latest census data, there were several general trends such as an increase in value of land/buildings and machinery/equipment, expanded value of sales, larger production expenses, significantly higher net cash returns, more part-time and larger farmers and a shift toward poultry/livestock. The number of farms have stabilized while the average farm size was slightly higher.

SOUTH CAROLINA CENSUS OF AGRICULTURE SUMMARY; 1997, 1992, 1987.
Item	Unit		1997		1992			1987
Farms	number		20,189		20,242			20,517
Land in farms	acres		4,593,452		4,472,569			4,758,631
Average size of farm	acres		228		221			232
Value of land and buildings	1,000 $		6,558,074		5,092,543			4,127,384	c
Average per farm	dollars		324,834		251,583			201,169
Average per acre	dollars		1,482		1,137			871
Est. market value of all machinery/equip	1,000 $		902,215		669,545			641,197	c
Average per farm	dollars		44,687		33,077			31,252
Farms by size:
1 to 9 acres	pct.		6.1%		6.4%			6.5%	c
10 to 49 acres	pct.		28.3%		27.1%			26.5%	c
50 to 179 acres	pct.		37.2%		37.5%			37.7%	c
180 to 499 acres	pct.		17.9%		18.3%			18.3%	c
500 to 999 acres	pct.		6.1%		6.2%			6.4%	c
1,000 acres or more	pct.		4.5%		4.4%			4.6%	c
Total cropland	farms		17,514		18,037			18,578
	acres		2,462,818		2,588,525			2,686,117
Cropland as % farm acres	pct.		53.6%		57.9%			56.4%	c
Harvested cropland	farms		13,426		14,587			15,556
	acres		1,654,535		1,590,794			1,589,636
Market value of agric. products sold	1,000 $		1,588,173		1,066,079			878,683
Average per farm	dollars		78,665		52,667			42,827
Crops/nursery/greenhouse crops	1,000 $		791,104		562,036			451,285
Percent of all products	pct.		49.8%		52.7%			51.4%	c
Livestock/poultry/products	1,000 $		797,069		504,043			427,398
Percent of all products	pct.		50.2%		47.3%			48.6%	c
Farms by value of sales:
Less than $2,500	pct.		40.4%		36.3%			36.2%	c
$2,500 to $4,999	pct.		15.2%		16.4%			17.1%	c
$5,000 to $9,999	pct.		13.4%		14.3%			14.1%	c
$10,000 to $24,999	pct.		11.3%		12.0%			12.4%	c
$25,000 to $49,999	pct.		5.0%		6.4%			6.2%	c
$50,000 to $99,999	pct.		3.5%		4.6%			4.6%	c
$100,000 or more	pct.		11.3%		10.0%			9.3%	c
Total farm production expenses	1,000 $		1,233,736		897,923			736,918
Average per farm	dollars		61,112		44,359			35,917
Net cash returns ag sales farm unit	1,000 $		328,569		157,727			123,915
Average per farm	dollars		16,275		7,792			6,040
Operators by principal occupation:
Farming	pct.		39.4%		43.8%			43.7%	c
Other	pct.		60.6%		56.2%			56.3%	c
Operators by days worked off farm:
Any	pct.		57.5%		55.7%			57.5%	c
200 days or more	pct.		42.0%		41.1%			41.7%	c
Operators by sex: Male	pct.		90.1%		92.0%			93.3%	c
Female	pct.		9.9%		8.0%			6.7%	c
Operators by race: White	pct.		92.6%		91.0%			90.1%	c
Black/other race	pct.		7.4%		9.0%			9.9%	c
Average age of operator	years		56.3		55.5			54.5
Notes: "c" means that value has been calculated from census data.

THE CLEMSON UNIVERSITY COOPERATIVE EXTENSION SERVICE OFFERS ITS PROGRAMS TO PEOPLE OF ALL AGES, REGARDLESS OF RACE, COLOR, SEX, RELIGION, NATIONAL ORIGIN, OR HANDICAP AND IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER.
COOPERATIVE EXTENSION WORK IN AGRICULTURE AND HOME ECONOMICS--STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA, CLEMSON UNIVERSITY, U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE, AND SOUTH CAROLINA COUNTIES COOPERATING.

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updated 3/11/99