E-mail: nass-ny@nass.usda.gov
(518) 457-5570

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

Contact:  Robin Gannon
Wednesday, August 3, 2011

www.nass.usda.gov/ny



                   Farm Production Expenses Edge Up in 2010

United States total farm production expenditures were $289.0 billion in 2010, up from the 
$287.4 billion in 2009 according to the Farm Production Expenditures 2010 summary released 
August 2, 2011 by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service 
(NASS).  This is in contrast to a fall of 6.4 percent for 2009 Total Expenditures when compared 
to 2008 Total Expenditures.  Total expenditures for 2009 remain unchanged from a year ago.  
Expense items showing increases from the previous year were: Tractors & Self Propelled 
Machinery, up 17.2 percent, Rent, up 14.6 percent, Other Farm Machinery, up 6.4 percent, Seeds 
& Plants, up 5.2 percent, Fertilizer, Lime, and Soil Conditioners, up 4.5 percent, Fuels, up 4.0 
percent, Taxes, up 3.8 percent, Farm Supplies & Repairs, up 2.6 percent, and Feed, up 0.9 
percent. 
 
Total Fuels Expense was $12.9 billion.  Diesel, the largest sub-component, was $8.2 billion 
accounting for 63.2 percent.  Diesel expenditures were up 13.2 percent in 2010.  Gasoline was 
$2.6 billion, up 4.9 percent.  LP Gas was $1.5 billion, down 24.9 percent.  Other fuels were $0.7 
billion, down 10.0 percent. 

The four largest expenditures at the United States level totaled $134.4 billion and accounted for 
46.5 percent of Total Expenditures in 2010. They were Feed, 15.7 percent; Farm Services, 12.4 
percent; Labor, 9.5 percent; and Rent, 9.0 percent.
  
In 2010, the United States Total Farm Expenditure average per farm was $131,793 compared 
with $131,137 in 2009, an increase of 0.5 percent.  On average, United States farm operations 
spent: $20,705 on Feed, $16,281 on Farm Services, $12,496 on Labor, $11,812 on Rent, and 
$11,128 on Livestock and Poultry Purchases. For 2009, United States farms spent an average of: 
$20,533 on Feed, $16,609 on Farm Services, $13,141 on Labor, $11,818 on Livestock and 
Poultry Purchases, and $10,312 on Rent. 
 
The Farm Production Expenditures summary provides the official estimates for production input 
costs on U.S. farms and ranches. These estimates are based on the results of the nationwide 
Agricultural Resource Management Survey, conducted annually by NASS. The Farm Production 
Expenditures 2010 summary and all NASS reports are available online at www.nass.usda.gov.

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