mi-press-releases

News Release
NR-12-51
August 3, 2012

U.S. Department of Agriculture
National Agricultural Statistics Service
Michigan Field Office
Michigan Department of Agriculture
Post Office Box 30239
Lansing, MI  48909-6248

Phone:      (517) 324-5300
Facsimile:  (517) 324-5299
E-mail:     nass-mi@nass.usda.gov
Web site:   www.nass.usda.gov

Jay V. Johnson, Director

Farm Production Expenditures Reach Record High

United States Total Farm Production Expenditures were $318.7 billion in 2011, 
up from $289.1 billion in 2010. The 2011 Total Expenditures rose 10.2 percent 
compared to 2010 Total Expenditures. All expenditure items except Interest 
and Labor increased from the previous year.

According to Jay Johnson, Director of the USDA, NASS, Michigan Field Office, 
the four largest expenditure categories at the United States level totaled 
$147.1 billion and accounted for 46.1 percent of Total Expenditures in 2011.  
They were:  Feed, 17.1 percent, Farm Services, 11.6 percent, Livestock, 
Poultry and Related Expenses, 9.0 percent, and Labor, 8.4 percent.

Total fuel expense was $15.3 billion.  Diesel, the largest sub-component, was 
$10.1 billion, accounting for 65.9 percent.  Diesel expenditures were up 23.7 
percent from the previous year.  Gasoline was $2.8 billion, up 9.4 percent.  
LP gas was $1.6 billion, up 8.8 percent.  Other fuel was $820.0 million, up 
13.9 percent.  

In 2011, the United States Total Farm Expenditure average per farm was 
$146,653 compared with $131,821 in 2010, an increase of 11.3 percent. On 
average, United States farm operations spent: $25,129 on Feed, $17,075 on 
Farm Services, $13,163 on Livestock, Poultry and Related Expenses, and 
$12,334 on Labor.  For 2010, United States farms spent an average of: $20,705 
on Feed, $16,821 on Farm Services, $11,128 on Livestock, Poultry, and Related 
Expenses, $12,450 on Labor. 

The United States Economic Sales Class contributing most to the 2011 United 
States Total Expenditures was the $1,000,000 - $4,999,999 class, with 
expenses of $91.5 billion, 28.7 percent of the United States total, up 14.2 
percent from the 2010 level of $80.1 billion. It was followed by the 
$5,000,000 and over class with $58.4 billion, up from $51.3 billion in 2010.  

The Midwest region, which includes Michigan, contributed the most to United 
States Total Expenditures with expenses of $98.7 billion (31.0 percent), up 
from $87.7 billion in 2010. The other regions ranked by Total Expenditures 
were: Plains at $73.8 billion (23.2 percent), West at $68.9 billion (21.6 
percent), Atlantic at $39.1 billion (12.3 percent), and South at $38.2 
billion (12.0 percent).