During National Ag Week, it is important to recognize the importance of agriculture to the Texas economy.
Texas leads the nation in number of farms and ranches, with 248,416 farms and ranches covering 127 million acres.
Of 408,506 producers in Texas, 37% are women.
For 36% of producers in Texas, farming is their primary occupation.
Of 127 million acres in farmland, 7% (176,837 acres) is dedicated to orchards.
The average farm in Texas is 411 acres.
The average farm size in Texas decreased by 12 acres from 2012.
Although cattle farms (beef farms specifically) dominated in numbers in Texas, farms with poultry inventory showed the largest increase since 2012.
The average age of Texas farmers and ranchers is 59 years.
Texas producers with military service accounted for 50,004 farms and 52,357 producers with an average age of 68.
The average farm size of a Texas producer with military service is 385 acres.
1 of every 7 working Texans (14%) is in an agriculture-related job.
The average age of young producers (age 35 or less) was 29 and accounted for 21,304 farms.
The average farm size owned by a young producer in Texas is 385 acres.
New and beginning producers (10 years or less on any farm) came in at 118,999 operating 77,419 farms with an average size of 348 acres
The number of female producers increased 69% in Texas compared to 2012.
The category of Asian farmers in Texas increased significantly compared to 2012.
The top 10 Texas commodities in terms of market value were::
• Cattle, $12.3 billion
• Cotton, $2.6 billion
• Milk, $2.1 billion
• Broilers, $2.9 billion
• Corn, $1.2 billion Greenhouse & nursery, $1.3 billion
•F orestry, $859 million
• Greenhouse, $838 million
• Eggs, $506 million
• Sorghum, $486 million
• Vegetables, $352 million
• Wheat, $276 million
Texas Top 10 Farm Production Expenses:
Total Farm Expenses, $22.9 billion
1 - Livestock and poultry purchased or leased, $5.8 billion
2 - Feed, $5.2 billion
3 - Hired labor, $1.7 billion
4 - Supplies, repairs and maintenance, $1.3 billion
5 - Fertilizer, lime, and soil conditioners, $1 billion
6 - Fuels and oils, $988 million
7 - Seeds, plants, vines and trees, $855 million
8 - Chemicals, $750 million
9 - Interest, $724 million
10 - Cash rent for land, buildings and grazing fees $576 million For more information on the National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) provided by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) please visit, https://www.nass.usda.gov/ AgCensus/