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Farm Computer Usage and Ownership on Virginia Farms
Farm Business Management Update, October 1999
By Gordon Groover
On July 30, 1999, the National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) released their second national survey of computer usage by U.S. farms. Responses to the computer usage questions were summarized for 33,000 farms. Results were compared to the 1997 levels, the first year the computer usage survey was conducted. Virginia's computer usage in the four categories survey by NASS continues to be below the U.S. average.
Farmers with access to a computer: Virginia farmers have increased their access to computers from a 1997 level of 26 percent to a 1999 level of 42 percent (Table 1). In 1999, 47 percent of U.S. farmers had access to computers. Arizona farmers reported the largest usage (80 percent) and Kentucky farmers reported the smallest usage: 25 percent.
Computer ownership by farmers: Only 20 percent of Virginia's farmers owned or leased a computer in 1997 as compared to 28 percent in 1999. Virginia has 47 percent fewer than Arizona, which reported 75 percent of their farms own or lease a computer (Table 1). Kentucky reported the lowest computer ownership or leasing with only 20 percent.
Access to or ownership of a computer does not insure the computer will be used in the farm business. In 1999, only 12 percent of Virginia's farmers who owned a computer used in it in their farm business, a negligible increase over the 10 percent reported in 1997. This rate is half of the 1999 national rate of 24 percent, and contrasts with Colorado whose usage is 42 percent (Table 1).
Access to the Internet: Nationwide, farmers with access to the Internet more than doubled from 13 percent in 1997 to 29 percent in 1999 (Table 1). Fifty-three percent of New Jersey's 9,600 farmers reported the greatest access to the Internet of any state. Virginia's farmers reported a threefold increase in Internet access from 8 percent in 1997 to 24 percent in 1999. Kentucky farmers' reported the lowest with only 14 percent having access to the Internet.
What does this information mean for Virginia and the South? NASS reported computer access and use based on region and gross farm sales. The South, as a whole, lags behind all other regions. However, the South has the highest proportion of farms reporting gross sales less than $10,000. This economic class of farmers nationwide had the lowest level of computer access and use. Thus, limited resource farmers, those with sales less than $10,000, will have difficulty accessing computer technology. Farmers in this economic class, which is highest in the South, will be less likely to benefit from the improvements in day-to-day management and analysis supported by computer technology.
A complete copy of this report can be obtained from NASS at the following URL: http://usda.mannlib.cornell.edu/reports/nassr/other/computer/
Percentage of farms |
|||||||||
Number of Farms |
With Access to Computer |
That Own or Lease Computers |
Using computer for Farm Business |
With Internet Access |
|||||
State |
1998 |
1997 |
1999 |
1997 |
1999 |
1997 |
1999 |
1997 |
1999 |
AL |
49,000 |
25 |
47 |
21 |
37 |
13 |
24 |
9 |
28 |
AZ |
7,900 |
46 |
80 |
42 |
75 |
35 |
39 |
16 |
44 |
AR |
49,500 |
25 |
41 |
22 |
35 |
17 |
23 |
10 |
25 |
CA |
89,000 |
51 |
61 |
47 |
55 |
30 |
40 |
23 |
46 |
CO |
29,500 |
47 |
64 |
43 |
59 |
31 |
42 |
16 |
37 |
DE |
2,700 |
45 |
60 |
44 |
48 |
21 |
38 |
18 |
30 |
FL |
45,000 |
41 |
45 |
35 |
39 |
24 |
27 |
19 |
34 |
GA |
50,000 |
25 |
33 |
23 |
29 |
12 |
18 |
11 |
20 |
ID |
24,500 |
48 |
75 |
36 |
59 |
21 |
34 |
12 |
41 |
IL |
79,000 |
45 |
51 |
36 |
46 |
27 |
32 |
17 |
30 |
IN |
66,000 |
37 |
46 |
29 |
41 |
16 |
22 |
10 |
25 |
IA |
97,000 |
46 |
51 |
37 |
45 |
25 |
32 |
12 |
30 |
KS |
65,000 |
36 |
52 |
31 |
46 |
21 |
26 |
11 |
27 |
KY |
90,000 |
23 |
25 |
18 |
20 |
9 |
11 |
8 |
14 |
LA |
30,000 |
26 |
35 |
21 |
32 |
14 |
20 |
4 |
21 |
MD |
12,500 |
46 |
51 |
43 |
45 |
27 |
28 |
25 |
31 |
MI |
52,000 |
47 |
59 |
38 |
51 |
20 |
25 |
17 |
28 |
MN |
80,000 |
43 |
49 |
32 |
40 |
22 |
26 |
11 |
27 |
MS |
42,000 |
22 |
30 |
15 |
24 |
9 |
11 |
4 |
18 |
MO |
110,000 |
33 |
39 |
27 |
34 |
16 |
19 |
10 |
19 |
MT |
27,500 |
54 |
65 |
41 |
52 |
33 |
36 |
15 |
38 |
NE |
55,000 |
45 |
49 |
38 |
44 |
29 |
31 |
14 |
26 |
NH 1/ |
27,550 |
35 |
57 |
31 |
46 |
22 |
31 |
11 |
43 |
NJ |
9,600 |
53 |
69 |
40 |
56 |
22 |
35 |
31 |
53 |
NM |
16,000 |
47 |
61 |
39 |
54 |
27 |
36 |
14 |
42 |
NY |
38,000 |
42 |
50 |
33 |
40 |
19 |
25 |
14 |
30 |
NC |
58,000 |
30 |
42 |
24 |
36 |
13 |
20 |
10 |
30 |
ND |
31,000 |
44 |
53 |
34 |
47 |
28 |
35 |
11 |
32 |
OH |
80,000 |
41 |
58 |
30 |
49 |
18 |
25 |
14 |
35 |
OK |
83,000 |
31 |
45 |
26 |
33 |
15 |
17 |
9 |
28 |
OR |
39,500 |
61 |
65 |
52 |
55 |
30 |
31 |
22 |
29 |
PA |
60,000 |
34 |
43 |
25 |
34 |
14 |
20 |
13 |
26 |
SC |
25,000 |
25 |
30 |
20 |
27 |
11 |
12 |
9 |
17 |
SD |
32,500 |
43 |
50 |
30 |
39 |
24 |
31 |
13 |
29 |
TN |
91,000 |
24 |
35 |
17 |
28 |
7 |
13 |
8 |
24 |
TX |
226,000 |
41 |
48 |
32 |
39 |
21 |
23 |
18 |
31 |
UT |
15,000 |
65 |
70 |
52 |
61 |
31 |
36 |
29 |
45 |
VA |
49,000 |
26 |
42 |
20 |
28 |
10 |
12 |
8 |
24 |
WA |
40,000 |
58 |
61 |
50 |
52 |
35 |
39 |
20 |
50 |
WV |
21,000 |
30 |
35 |
22 |
27 |
9 |
11 |
13 |
19 |
WI |
78,000 |
36 |
50 |
29 |
40 |
19 |
24 |
9 |
33 |
WY |
9,200 |
56 |
65 |
45 |
48 |
35 |
38 |
11 |
30 |
US |
2,185,450 |
38 |
47 |
31 |
40 |
20 |
24 |
13 |
29 |
1/ Includes CT, ME, MA, NH, RI, and VT. |
|||||||||
2/ Excludes AK and HI. |
Contact the author at xgrover@vt.edu .
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