1997 CENSUS OF AGRICULTURE HIGHLIGHTS OF AGRICULTURE: 1997 AND 1992 DE SOTO PARISH, LOUISIANA Item ALL FARMS 1997 1992 Farms .........................number.. 516 556 Land in farms ..................acres.. 156 733 147 826 Average size of farm .......acres.. 304 266 Value of land and buildings@1: Average per farm .........dollars.. 275 348 221 428 Average per acre .........dollars.. 965 858 Estimated market value of all machinery and equipment@1 Average per farm .........dollars.. 34 911 24 297 Farms by size: 1 to 9 acres ........................ 16 26 10 to 49 acres ...................... 118 125 50 to 179 acres ..................... 194 207 180 to 499 acres .................... 107 114 500 to 999 acres .................... 52 51 1,000 acres or more ................. 29 33 Total cropland .................farms.. 396 455 acres.. 49 847 62 613 Harvested cropland ...........farms.. 289 326 acres.. 20 499 19 860 Irrigated land .................farms.. 23 31 acres.. 319 277 Market value of agricultural products sold................$1,000.. 19 430 18 655 Average per farm .........dollars.. 37 655 33 552 Crops, including nursery and greenhouse crops............$1,000.. 1 423 1 285 Livestock, poultry, and their products....................$1,000.. 18 007 17 370 Farms by value of sales: Less than $2,500 .................... 171 216 $2,500 to $4,999 .................... 110 103 $5,000 to $9,999 .................... 88 76 $10,000 to $24,999 .................. 65 75 $25,000 to $49,999 .................. 28 24 $50,000 to $99,999 .................. 14 21 $100,000 or more .................... 40 41 Total farm production expenses.$1,000.. 16 970 16 981 Average per farm .........dollars.. 32 952 30 597 Operators by principal occupation: Farming ............................. 186 202 Other ............................... 330 354 Operators by days worked off farm: Any ................................. 331 338 200 days or more ................... 222 241 Livestock and poultry: Cattle and calves inventory...farms.. 439 448 number.. 38 083 34 115 Beef cows ..................farms.. 369 372 number.. 16 167 12 296 Milk cows ..................farms.. 46 68 number.. 8 049 8 806 Cattle and calves sold .......farms.. 428 431 number.. 15 342 12 708 Hogs and pigs inventory ......farms.. 6 10 number.. 32 94 Hogs and pigs sold ...........farms.. 2 7 number.. (D) 143 Sheep and lambs inventory ....farms.. 4 6 number.. 23 92 Layers and pullets 13 weeks old and older inventory.............farms.. 19 35 number.. (D) 923 Broilers and other meat-type chickens sold...............farms.. 0 1 number.. 0 (D) Selected crops harvested: Sorghum for grain or seed.....farms.. 0 1 acres.. 0 (D) bushels.. 0 (D) Wheat for grain ..............farms.. 0 4 acres.. 0 727 bushels.. 0 30 534 Rice..........................farms.. 0 0 acres.. 0 0 cwt.. 0 0 Cotton .......................farms.. 1 4 acres.. (D) 1 589 bales.. (D) 2 162 Soybeans for beans ...........farms.. 1 0 acres.. (D) 0 bushels.. (D) 0 Sugarcane for sugar...........farms.. 0 0 acres.. 0 0 tons.. 0 0 Hay-alf, other, wild, silage..farms.. 262 297 acres.. 19 116 17 359 tons, dry.. 45 660 41 208 @1Data are based on a sample of farms. Legend: (D) Withheld to avoid disclosing data for individual farms (X) Not applicable (Z) Less than half the unit shown (NA) Not available Source: 1997 Census of Agriculture, Volume 1 Geographic Area Series, "Table 1. County Summary Highlights: 1997." This electronic series presents summary statistics for each county and State together with comparable data from the 1992 census. The items included are the same for all States and counties, except selected crops harvested, which vary by State. Data for 1997 and 1992 are directly comparable for acreage and inventories. Dollar values have not been adjusted for changes in price levels. You can obtain the Volume 1 Geographic Area Series from the National Technical Information Service. If you have any questions concerning the data in this report or need additional information or order forms for agriculture publications, please call the National Agricultural Statistics Service at 1-800-523-3215 or 1-800-727-9540.