Results from long-term experimental trials suggest that similar yields and lower costs are possible from organic compared with conventional field crop production, but there is little information about the relative costs and returns on commercial farms. This study examines the structure and...

Agricultural Resource Management Survey (ARMS) data for 2007 highlight the production\r practices and costs related to the cotton enterprise, as well as the characteristics of\r U.S. cotton farm operations. Combining ARMS data with ERS cost-of-cotton production\r estimates for 2007 provides a...

Public health policies intended to reduce the incidence of smoking-related disease adversely affect thousands of tobacco farmers, manufacturers, and other businesses that produce, distribute, and sell tobacco products. This report assesses the likely impacts of declining tobacco demand, and...

Marketing quota and price support programs for peanuts and tobacco were a longstanding feature of U.S. farm policy, from the 1930s until the Government enacted quota buyouts, in 2002 for peanuts and 2004 for tobacco. Quota owners were compensated with temporary payments, but elimination of the...

In recent years, the Federal Government has increased its emphasis on conservation programs that reward good stewardship on working farmland. This report examines the business, operator, and household characteristics of farms that have adopted certain conservation-compatible practices, with and...

Corn production costs per bushel vary considerably among U.S. producers, depending on yields, farm location, tillage practices, irrigation, previous field usage, enterprise size, and weather. In 2001, the operating and ownership costs per bushel for corn ranged from an average of $1.08 for the...

This report presents State-level soybean production cost and return estimates for the 1990 production year, along with coefficients of variation for each cost item. Per-acre costs are highly variable among States due to differences in production practices, inputs, and type and size of machines...

This report presents State-level corn production cost and return estimates for the 1991 production year, along with coefficients of variation for each cost item. Per-acre costs are highly variable among States due to differences in production practices, inputs, and type and size of machines used...

Use of crop biotechnology products, such as genetically engineered (GE) crops with input traits for pest management, has risen dramatically since commercial approval in the mid-1990s. This report addresses several of the economic dimensions regarding farmer adoption of bioengineered crops,...