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| Changes in Crop Acres Since Freedom to Farm |
USAgNet
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The 1996 U.S. Farm Bill eliminated many acreage restrictions, thereby allowing farmers to plant what they believe to be their most competitive crops. A study conducted by University of Illinois agricultural economists evaluated subsequent acreage changes across crops to better understand which crops have been most profitable during a period when farm legislation contains few acreage constraints.
"Since the passing of the Freedom to Farm Act, soybean and corn acreages have increased significantly," said U of I agricultural economist Gary Schnitkey. "Crops losing acres include wheat, barley, grain sorghum, corn silage, cotton, peanuts, dry edible beans, and potatoes."
For the study, harvested crop acres were averaged for 1990 through 1994, the years preceding the Freedom to Farm Act, and for 2005 through 2009, following the passing of the legislation.
According to Schnitkey, two of the 13 crops have kept relatively stable in their acreage. These include hay, averaging about 60 million acres, and rice, averaging about 3 million acres. The remaining nine crops had sizable acreage reductions.
"Wheat had the largest reduction in acreage following the passing of the Freedom to Farm Act, dropping from 62.8 million to 50.7 million acres," Schnitkey said. "This 12.1 million acre decrease represents a 19 percent decline in wheat harvested."
Other crops losing 1 million acres or more are barley with minus 4.0 million acres, grain sorghum with minus 3.7 million acres, corn for silage with minus 3.7 million acres, and cotton with minus 1.9 million acres. |
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