Census: Number of Kansas farms has dropped 5% over 5 years

WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — The government’s latest Census of Agriculture for Kansas shows the number of farms in the state has dropped 5% from the count taken five years earlier.

The National Agricultural Statistics Service reported Thursday that there were 58,569 farms in Kansas during 2017. They covered some 45.8 million acres, down 1% from the 2012 census. Farms comprise 87.5% of total land in Kansas.

Kansas farms averaged 781 acres, about 34 acres larger than when the agency counted five years ago.

Kansas producers sold $18.8 billion of agricultural products in 2017, up 2% from 2012. About 66% of those products came from livestock and 34% from crops.

Average net farm income was $49,291 in 2017, down 3% from 2012.

The government’s agricultural census is conducted every five years.