1997 CENSUS OF AGRICULTURE HIGHLIGHTS OF AGRICULTURE: 1997 AND 1992 HIDALGO COUNTY, TEXAS Item ALL FARMS 1997 1992 Farms .........................number.. 1 373 1 565 Land in farms ..................acres.. 635 884 660 412 Average size of farm .......acres.. 463 422 Value of land and buildings@1: Average per farm .........dollars.. 609 058 525 292 Average per acre .........dollars.. 1 360 1 154 Estimated market value of all machinery and equipment@1 Average per farm .........dollars.. 62 956 56 031 Farms by size: 1 to 9 acres ........................ 205 205 10 to 49 acres ...................... 475 584 50 to 179 acres ..................... 268 311 180 to 499 acres .................... 166 173 500 to 999 acres .................... 97 123 1,000 acres or more ................. 162 169 Total cropland .................farms.. 1 178 1 348 acres.. 438 908 458 852 Harvested cropland ...........farms.. 962 1 154 acres.. 344 665 383 507 Irrigated land .................farms.. 844 1 009 acres.. 185 330 224 052 Market value of agricultural products sold................$1,000.. 197 235 202 101 Average per farm .........dollars.. 143 652 129 138 Crops, including nursery and greenhouse crops............$1,000.. 181 134 187 906 Livestock, poultry, and their products....................$1,000.. 16 100 14 195 Farms by value of sales: Less than $2,500 .................... 497 649 $2,500 to $4,999 .................... 172 165 $5,000 to $9,999 .................... 140 149 $10,000 to $24,999 .................. 165 165 $25,000 to $49,999 .................. 92 86 $50,000 to $99,999 .................. 70 79 $100,000 or more .................... 237 272 Total farm production expenses.$1,000.. 150 268 171 682 Average per farm .........dollars.. 109 525 109 701 Operators by principal occupation: Farming ............................. 624 800 Other ............................... 749 765 Operators by days worked off farm: Any ................................. 736 829 200 days or more ................... 478 558 Livestock and poultry: Cattle and calves inventory...farms.. 517 535 number.. 34 322 28 698 Beef cows ..................farms.. 448 457 number.. 15 038 13 770 Milk cows ..................farms.. 19 29 number.. 98 1 118 Cattle and calves sold .......farms.. 453 493 number.. 30 289 22 351 Hogs and pigs inventory ......farms.. 29 52 number.. 363 2 839 Hogs and pigs sold ...........farms.. 18 40 number.. 1 357 2 827 Sheep and lambs inventory ....farms.. 20 23 number.. 254 482 Layers and pullets 13 weeks old and older inventory.............farms.. 35 71 number.. 576 2 015 Broilers and other meat-type chickens sold...............farms.. 0 1 number.. 0 (D) Selected crops harvested: Corn for grain or seed .......farms.. 93 135 acres.. 41 328 30 465 bushels.. 3 024 494 2 874 234 Sorghum for grain or seed.....farms.. 264 359 acres.. 136 625 147 894 bushels.. 9 498 087 8 842 146 Wheat for grain ..............farms.. 11 10 acres.. 1 852 851 bushels.. 87 060 38 442 Rice..........................farms.. 0 0 acres.. 0 0 cwt.. 0 0 Cotton .......................farms.. 129 221 acres.. 61 890 92 533 bales.. 72 112 104 372 Soybeans for beans ...........farms.. 20 1 acres.. 1 343 (D) bushels.. 38 512 (D) Hay-alf, other, wild, silage..farms.. 269 248 acres.. 10 493 7 469 tons, dry.. 21 540 16 726 @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.