The Franklin News-Post
P. O. Box 250
310 Main Street, SW
Rocky Mount, Virginia 24151
540-483-5113
Fax: 540-483-8013
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Staff Photo by Joel Turner:
Fewer dairy cows have been seen in Virginia in recent years. Since 1995, the number of dairy producers in the state has decreased from 1,500 to 750. |
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
By JOEL TURNER - Staff Writer
High feed prices and low milk prices in recent years have taken a toll on dairy farmers in Virginia.
The number of dairy farms in Virginia has declined by nearly 40 percent since 1997.
This includes a 27 percent decrease from 2002 to 2007, according to the 2007 U.S. Census of Agriculture.
The census results indicated that the "dairy situation is bleak," said Jim Pease, agriculture and applied economics professor at Virginia Tech.
Franklin County is the state's third-largest dairy county.
Pease said that dairy farms have struggled to keep pace with technology and herd size.
Dairy farmers are not alone in their financial challenges, he said.
The net income of Virginia farms was 17 percent lower in 2007 than in 2002, according to the Census of Agriculture.
"Although many food commodities experienced record-high prices during the 2006-2008 period, the net farm income of Virginia operations was 17 percent lower, primarily because of the spike in input costs," Pease said.
"Fully 62 percent of Virginia (farm) operations reported a net loss," he said.
The census also showed that Virginia lost 521,000 acres of farmland between 2002 and 2007.
This is the highest rate of decline in farmland in the past 20 years, according to Herman Ellison, director of the Virginia office of the National Agricultural Statistics Service.
"Compared to previous census counts, we lost almost as much land out of agriculture in the past five years than we did over three previous census periods," Ellison said.
During the period from 1987 to 2002, Virginia lost 577,000 acres of farmland, compared to 521,000 in the past five years.
The agriculture census, which is conducted every five years, provides facts and figures on virtually every aspect of U.S. agriculture, including number and types of farm operations, the economic aspects of farm production and the demographics of farm operators.
A record number of farmers participated in the 2007 Census of Agriculture by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS).
The census showed that the average age of farm operators in Virginia rose during the five-year period. In 2007, the average age was 58.2 years, compared to 56.7 years in 2002.
Retirement could be a factor in the increased loss of farmland.
The census found that about a third of farm operators in Virginia are 65 or older, while only 4 percent of farmers are younger than 35.
For farmers and ranchers, the census data can be a valuable tool to help them make informed decisions about the future of their operations. In addition, the information is used by all those who serve farmers and rural communities, including government agencies, community planners, agribusinesses, lenders, trade associations and others.
"The information provided from the census is really the voice of our nation's farmers and ranchers," Ellison said. |
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