Ag Census: NE Farms Drop 7% in 5 Years

NEBRASKA (AP) - The latest Census of Agriculture for Nebraska says the number of farms in the state has dropped seven percent from five years earlier.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture said in a news release Thursday that there were more than 46,300 farms in Nebraska during 2017. They covered 45 million acres - down one percent from the 2012 census.
The department report says the total value of agricultural products sold in 2017 was 22 billion dollars, down five percent from 2012. Average net income per farm in 2017 was nearly 88,000 dollars- down 19 percent from 2012.
The department's National Agricultural Statistics Service conducts the census every five years.