In 1991, there were 82,000 farms in Illinois covering more than 28 million acres of land and producing $7.5 billion in commodities, reports the state Department of Agriculture in Illinois Agricultural Statistics.
Net farm income declined 15 percent, to $1.7 billion, in 1990, compared to 1989. Gross income was off slightly, while production costs rose 4 percent over 1989, when net farm income reached its second highest plateau in state history.
Illinois was the third-leading export state in 1991; the same rank as 1990, behind California and Iowa. But exports, which totaled $2.6 billion, dropped 21 percent from the previous year and hit the lowest level since 1987. Total U.S. exports were down 6 percent.
The number of farms in Illinois declined by 1,000 in 1992, but total acreage remained steady.
Donald Sevener
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