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ALABAMA AGRICULTURE SINCE 1950: DECLINE AND CHANGE. Highlights of Alabama Agriculture Since 1950. Total number of farms has decreased Average farm size has increased The few remaining row-crop farms are viable Originally, Alabama farmland was both A. Row crop land
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Highlights of Alabama Agriculture Since 1950 • Total number of farms has decreased • Average farm size has increased • The few remaining row-crop farms are viable • Originally, Alabama farmland was both A. Row crop land B. Mixture of pasture and light forest cover • The pasture and light forest cover was converted to pure forest without pasture • The total forest land grew because of the conversion • Farms that could not raise row crops converted to chickens, catfish, and other alternatives
Number of Farms and Land In Farms(in acres, all numbers x 1000)USDA, Economic Research Service (ERS), "Farm Real Estate Historical Series Data, 1950-1992", Statistical Bulletin No. 855 Year Number of Farms Land in Farms 1950 220 21300 1954 168 21200 1959 129 17600 1964 102 16200 1969 85 15000 1974 78 14600 1978 59 12500 1982 55 11800 1987 49 10700 1992 46 9800
Ag and Forest Land Use (in acres, all numbers x 1000)USDA, Economic Research Service (ERS), "Major Land Uses 1945-1992", Stock No. 89003 A. B. C. D. E. Year Total Crop Total Forest Woodland Only Land Forest Use, as Pasture Not Grazed 1945 32690 8266 18748 4889 13859 1949 32690 8271 18817 8305 10512 1954 32690 7481 20766 10785 9981 1959 32678 6028 20771 16000 4771 1964 32545 5211 21749 17241 4508 1969 32452 5885 21748 19437 2311 1974 32452 5797 21333 19444 1889 1978 32452 5888 21333 19452 1881 1982 32491 5642 21179 19479 1700 1987 32491 4803 21659 19965 1694 1992 32480 4539 21941 20337 1604
Why Row Crop Agriculture Has Declined • Crops can grow in Alabama but they cannot compete with other areas of the country • Climate too severe and unpredictable Late, early, unpredictable frosts Severe storms Occasional droughts • Soil is poor, except for a few good areas in the Black Belt and by Huntsville • Still, some alternatives have opened up
Climatic Variability: Last Frost The next slide is a map showing the average date of last frost in various places in Alabama. There is almost three months difference between the north and south of the state. Because of this difference across the state, each point in the state varies considerably in the date of last frost. In Alabama, crops have to be planted later than people think, and the growing period is shorter than people think. This makes Alabama farmers less able to compete.
Alabama Has Poor Average Yields The next two slides compare Alabama yields of bushels of corn per acre, and pounds per milk of cow, with three other states, for two periods: 1960 and 2000. Alabama improved its yields, especially with milk, but it has not been able to match production in other states regardless of how much effort has gone into research and extension. Notice how production in other states has held more steady. Much of the apparent improvement in Alabama actually came about because poor producers dropped out rather than because all producers improved.
