Report shows Fourth Congressional District's contribution to agriculture

The Census of Agriculture, conducted every five years, is the leading source of facts and statistics about the nation's farms and ranches, and the only source of uniform, comprehensive agricultural data for every state and county in the United States. The most recent Census of Agriculture provides a statistical snapshot of America's farms during the 2002 calendar year.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Agricultural Statistics Service, the agency in charge of the census project, published the 2002 Census of Agriculture in June 2004, but recently released an analysis that breaks out the data by Congressional District. I've always known that farmers in Missouri, and in Missouri's Fourth Congressional District in particular, make large contributions to America's agricultural output, and this report confirms it.

The data show that within the 25 Missouri counties that make up the Fourth Congressional District, there are 26,556 farms, encompassing almost 7 million acres of land. The average farm in the Fourth District has 263 acres. The total number of farm operators in the Fourth District is 39,721, with an average age of 55.5 years.

At the time of the census, the market value of production in the Fourth District was $1,169,374,000, averaging $44,034 per farm. Among the nine Congressional Districts in Missouri, the Fourth District ranked first in the market value of agricultural products sold. The Fourth District ranked 42nd among the 418 Congressional Districts measured in the country for the value of its production.

Although agricultural production in the Fourth District is very diverse, our region ranked first in the state for the sales value of cattle and calves and of milk and other dairy products from cows. The Fourth District also ranked first for the sales value of fruits, tree nuts, and berries. The Fourth District has more turkeys and cattle and calves than any other district in the state.

The Census of Agriculture is a component of the economic censuses conducted every five years for the United States. Because agriculture census data are routinely used by farm organizations, businesses, state departments of agriculture, elected representatives and legislative bodies at all levels of government, public and private sector analysts, and colleges and universities, census data help shape policies that affect farmers and their neighbors.

We should all take notice of significant accomplishments of Missouri agricultural producers.

Without a doubt, those who farm in the counties that make up the Fourth District are major contributors to agriculture, not just in the State of Missouri, but in the nation. For more information about the 2002 Census of Agriculture, check USDA's National Agriculture Statistics Service's Web site at www.usda.gov/nass/ or call the NASS Hotline at (800) 727-9540.