Amber Waves cover
Amber Waves: The Conomics of Food, Farming, Natural Resources, and Rural America

April 2006

| United States Department of Agriculture | Economic Research Service
Search   GO!  
Current Issue
All Issues
spacer Amber Waves Home
  Feature Articles

Findings

Statistics
  About Amber Waves
  E-mail notices

ERS Newsroom

 

USDA's Economic Research Service

Ad: Print Edition
Click here to subscribe to Amber Waves
Read more about our awards

 

 


Print this page Print | E-mail this link E-mail | Bookmark & Share Bookmark/share | Translate this page Translate | Text only Text only | resize text smallresize text mediumresize text large

Indicators heading
 
Farm, Rural, and Natural Resources Indicators
empty cell

Annual percent change

item

2000

2001

2002

2003

2004

2005

2002-03

2003-04

2004-05

Cash receipts ($ billion)

192.1

200.1

195.0

216.6

241.2

239.0f

11.1

11.4

-0.9

Crops

92.5

93.3

101.0

111.0

117.8 114.1f

9.9

6.1

-3.1

Livestock

99.6

106.7

94.0

105.6

123.5 124.9f

12.3

17.0

1.1

Direct government payments ($ billion)

22.9

20.7

11.2

17.2

13.3 23.0f

53.6

-22.7

72.9

Gross cash income ($ billion)

228.7

235.6

221.0

249.5

271.7 279.5f

12.9

8.9

2.9

Net cash income ($ billion)

56.7

60.1

49.5

71.6

85.5 82.8f

44.6

19.4

-3.2

Net value added ($ billion)

91.9

95.0

78.6

101.2

125.9 119.3f

28.8

24.4

-5.2

Farm equity ($ billion)

1,025.6

1,070.2

1,110.7

1,180.8

1,293.9 1,376.9f

6.3

9.6

6.4

Farm debt-asset ratio

14.8

14.8

14.8

14.4

13.8 13.4f

-2.7

-4.2

-2.9

Farm household income ($/farm household)

61,947

64,117

65,761

68,597

81,480p 83,461f

4.3

18.8

2.4

Farm household income relative to average U.S. household income (%)

108.6

110.2

113.7

116.1

134.6p na

2.1

15.9

na

Nonmetro-metro difference in poverty rates (%points)

2.6

3.1

2.6

2.1

na na

-19.2

na

na.

Cropland harvested (million acres)

314

311

307

315

312 312p

2.6

-1.0

0.0

USDA Conservation Program expenditures ($ bil.)1

3.3

3.7

4.2

4.3

5.1 na.

2.4

18.6

na
Food and Fiber Sector Indicators
empty cell

Annual percent change

item

2000

2001

2002

2003

2004

2005

2002-03

2003-04

2004-05

U.S. gross domestic product ($ billion)

9,817

10,128

10,470

10,971

11,734 12,487

4.8

7.0

6.4

Share of GDP in agriculture and related industries (%)2

4.8

4.8

4.8

4.8

4.8 na

0.0

0.0

na

Share of GDP in agriculture (%)2

0.7

0.7

0.7

0.8

1.0 na

11.1

19.2

na

Total agricultural imports ($ billion)1

38.9

39.0

41.0

45.7

52.7 57.7

11.5

15.3

9.5

Total agricultural exports ($ billion)1

50.7

52.7

53.3

56.2

62.4 62.4

5.4

11.0

0.0

Exports' share of the volume of U.S. agriculture production (%)

17.6

17.6

16.7

17.9

16.3 na

7.2

-8.9

na

CPI for food (1982-84=100)

167.9

173.1

176.2

180.0

186.2 190.7

2.2

3.4

2.4

Share of U.S. disposable income spent on food (%)

9.8

9.8

9.5

9.4

9.5 na

-1.1

1.1

na

Share of total food expenditures for at-home consumption (%)

51.7

51.7

50.8

50.3

49.7 na

-1.0

-1.2

na

Farm-to-retail price spread (1982-84=100)

210.3

215.4

221.2

225.6

232.1 238.3

2.0

2.9

2.7

Total USDA food and nutrition assistance spending ($ billion)1

32.6

34.2

38.0

41.8

46.2 50.9

10.0

10.5

10.2

f = Forecast. p = Preliminary. na = Not available. All dollar amounts are in current dollars.
1 Based on October-September fiscal years ending with year indicated.
2 The methodology for computing these measures has changed. These statistics are not comparable to previously published statistics. Sources and computation methodology are available at: http://www.ers.usda.gov/AmberWaves/About/AgGDP.htm.

chart: In 2004, the share of U.S. food expenditures on food away from home surpassed the share on food at home

chart: Top 10 sources of U.S. agricultural imports, fiscal year 2005

chart: Food stamps accounted for 61 percent of total USDA expenditures for domestic food assistance in fiscal year 2005

For more information . . .

AO tables
Get the statistical indicators formerly provided in Agricultural Outlook magazine.