Change in U.S. Livestock Production, 1969-92

by William D. McBride

This report examines geographic changes in U.S. livestock production during 1969-92 from the standpoint of industry concentration and structure. Farm numbers declined 30 percent from 1969 to 1992, but hog and dairy operations were down 70 percent, farms producing eggs dropped 85 percent, and broiler operations declined 35 percent. Operations feeding cattle declined 40 percent from 1978 to 1992. Despite fewer farms, production was generally stable for most commodities with changes that reflected shifts in consumer demand for livestock products. With fewer farms producing more product, structural change in the production of most major livestock commodities was substantial. However, the magnitude and geography of change varied by commodity.

Keywords: livestock production, industry concentration, industry structure, structural change, Census of Agriculture, Farm Costs and Returns Survey

In this publication...

• Entire Report
• Introduction
• Measuring Size in Livestock Production, The Changing Concentration of Livestock Production (pages 4-9)
• The Changing Concentration of Livestock Production (pages 10-15)
• The Changing Structure of Livestock Production (pages 16-18)
• The Changing Structure of Livestock Production (pages 19-21)
• The Changing Concentration and Structure of Livestock Production: Conclusions
• Characteristics of Structural Change in Hog and Milk Production
• Production Costs and Structural Change in Hog and Milk Production
• Implications for the Future of Hog and Milk Production
• Appendix: Statistical Procedures
• References