The 2008/2009 World Economic Crisis: What It Means for U.S. Agriculture
See the report here. According to the report, the economic crisis resulted in declining incomes worldwide and short-term appreciation of the dollar. Together, that resulted in a decrease in U.S. agricultural exports and "sharply lower agricultural prices, farm income, and employment" compared to 2007-08. Additionally, farm families are having a harder time finding jobs and making money off the farm. Translation: The world economic crisis is bad for U.S. farms.
Here's another point I found interesting:
The fall in energy prices has reduced the price and profitability of biofuels, and thereby lowered prices for feedstock crops, especially corn. On the other hand, all producers will benefit from lower input costs implied by reduced energy and fuel prices. This report projects that in 2009, the fuel and energy-related input costs faced by U.S. farmers could decline by 30 percent, returning costs to the levels of 2006. Livestock producers will be net beneficiaries of the energy price drop, as the decrease in crop prices will lower their feed costs.
Changes in Manure Management in the Hog Sector: 1998-2004
See the report here. The report begins by acknowledging the recent move from family hog farms to factory farms over the past decade or so. ("Over 1998-2004, the total number of U.S. hog operations fell by about 40 percent, and the average inventory grew from 2,589 to 4,646 head per farm.") They note that the consolidation means fewer operations are managing manure - and each one manages more manure on average - which means the consequences of mistakes, when they occur, are worse.
Pollutants such as nutrients (nitrogen and phosphorus), ammonia, methane, and odor can originate from production houses where animals are kept, from manure storage structures such as tanks and lagoons, or from fields where manure is applied.
Other causes for changes in manure management are changes in laws, from a strengthening of the Clean Water Act to state regulations like North Carolina's 1997 moratorium on hog farm expansion.
The report found that large hog farms often give away their manure for free for use as fertilizer. Also, these large hog farms were more likely to conduct nutrient testing of manure and to feed hogs "microbial phytase" to "reduce nutrients in manure."
Additional trends that suggest greater adherence to environmental regulations by the largest hog farms include:
(1) a decline in the spreading of solid manure and liquid manure without physically injecting it into the soil (these two practices increase the risk of nutrient loss to the atmosphere and runoff);
(2) a decline in the quantity of manure applied per acre;
(3) a decline in the nutrients excreted per animal due to an increase in feed efficiency; and
(4) an increase in the share of farms removing manure from their operation.
State Fact Sheets
If you want numbers state by state on things like farm characteristics, population, employment, top commodities, etc, then go here. |
