US agriculture revealed by the Agricultural Census of 2012

Abstract

The article presents the main results of the Census of Agriculture conducted in the US in 2012. On this basis and in relation to the three previous censuses were presented the main directions of structural changes in agriculture. It was observed continuation of the process of concentration of farms in parallel with a significant loss of agricultural land. It was found the aging of farmers and strong a phenomenon of pluriactivity. It was showed an increase of capital intensity of agricultural production in terms of unfavorable changes in the indexes of prices paid and received by farmers. At the same time it was found reduced role of the political annuity and increased the economic annuity in shaping income in agriculture in the United States. It has been shown that less than half of the farms gained a net profit.