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LOCAL WORK-RELATED COMMUTING IN FARMING-DEPENDENT COUNTIES REMAINED HIGH DURING
INITIAL DAYS OF COVID-19 PANDEMIC


THURSDAY, DECEMBER 15, 2022

In the early weeks of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, when local and State
authorities were issuing stay-at-home orders, employees in farming-dependent
counties maintained a relatively high level of onsite work and commuting.
Researchers at USDA, Economic Research Service (ERS) and Middlebury College
divided all rural (nonmetro) counties into four equal groups based on how much
work-related local travel was reduced. The four groups were: greatest reduction,
second-greatest, second-least, and least reduction. Those in the “least
reduction” group had mobility levels similar to pre-pandemic levels. In
mid-April 2020, 7 weeks after the virus first arrived in a rural county and a
month after stay-at-home orders were issued, there were three times as many
farming-dependent counties in the “least reduction” group as in the “greatest
reduction” group. Counties dependent on government and recreation jobs showed
the greatest mobility reductions during the early months of the pandemic. These
differences in mobility reduction help explain differences in the initial spread
of COVID-19 within counties. By the third week of April 2020, “least reduction”
counties were experiencing infection rates nearly double those in counties with
greater reductions in work-related mobility. This chart appears in the ERS
report Migration, Local Mobility, and the Spread of COVID-19 in Rural America,
published in November 2022.


COUNTIES WITH CONTINUOUS HIGH POVERTY SINCE 1960 ARE LARGELY RURAL


WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 14, 2022

In 1960, 78 percent (2,412) of U.S. counties had poverty rates of 20 percent or
more. Among them, 28 percent (680) continued to have high poverty through 1980.
After enactment of the Economic Opportunity Act of 1964, commonly known as the
War on Poverty initiatives, many counties reported reduced poverty rates.
Between 1980 and 2019, poverty rates were relatively stable, mainly fluctuating
with cyclical changes in the macroeconomy. As of 2019, there were 304
counties—13 percent of the counties with high poverty in 1960—that consistently
had poverty rates of 20 percent or more over the last 60 years. The majority—264
counties—are rural counties and are clustered in the Appalachian States; the
Black Belt in the South; the Mississippi Delta; the Ozarks region of Missouri,
Arkansas, Oklahoma, and southeast Kansas; the Southwest; and in counties with
large American Indian and Alaska Native populations. This chart is a version of
an interactive map on USDA, Economic Research Service’s Poverty Area Measures
data product, updated November 2022.


BAKING INGREDIENT PRICES ROSE IN 2022


TUESDAY, DECEMBER 13, 2022

As people sift through holiday baking recipes and head to the store, they will
find key ingredients cost more this year. The total cost for five baking staples
– flour, sugar, milk, butter, and eggs – was about 22 percent higher through the
first 10 months of 2022 compared with the same period in 2021. A 5-pound bag of
flour, 4-pound bag of sugar, gallon of whole milk, pound of butter, and a dozen
eggs cost a total $16.55 in 2022, compared with $13.55 in 2021, an increase of
$3.00. Egg prices increased the fastest (60 percent) and cost about $0.98 more
per dozen compared with 2021, as the egg industry was affected by the highly
pathogenic avian influenza outbreak. Prices for flour and butter each rose by
about 20 percent, adding about $0.40 to the price of a bag of flour and $0.71 to
a pound of butter. Prices increased more slowly for milk (16 percent) and sugar
(13 percent) in 2022, although price increases for all products were above
historical averages. USDA, Economic Research Service tracks aggregate food
category prices and publishes price forecasts in the monthly Food Price Outlook
data product, which predicts food-at-home prices will increase between 11 and 12
percent in 2022.


AFRICA’S FOOD AND BEVERAGE SECTOR ATTRACTS GLOBAL INVESTORS


MONDAY, DECEMBER 12, 2022

Increasing incomes, populations, and urbanization in Africa have generated new
agricultural investment opportunities for foreign firms. Foreign direct
investments (FDI) in the food and beverage sector are one mechanism to build and
extend Africa’s agricultural value chains, the processes connecting food
production, delivery, and the consumer. A key type of these investments is
greenfield FDI, which are investments made by a foreign firm to start a new
venture or subsidiary in another country. From 2016 to 2020, the United Arab
Emirates, Ukraine, United States, and Belgium were the largest sources of
greenfield FDI in the food and beverage sector in Africa. U.S. food and beverage
greenfield FDI has been consistent over time, ranging between $1.5 to $2 billion
during each 5-year period from 2006 through 2020. Investments made by companies
in Saudi Arabia, the Netherlands, and Lebanon from 2016 to 2020 were also
sizable, followed by Singapore and the United Kingdom. Notably, China’s
greenfield FDI activity in this sector was relatively small, reaching just under
$500 million in 2016 to 2020. This chart is drawn from the USDA, Economic
Research Service report Foreign Direct Investment in Africa: Recent Trends
Leading up to the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).


NUMBER OF U.S. HOG OPERATIONS DECLINED BETWEEN 1997 AND 2017, WHILE FARM SIZE
AND CONTRACT PRODUCTION INCREASED


FRIDAY, DECEMBER 9, 2022

The structure of the U.S. hog sector changed between 1997 and 2017, shifting hog
production to fewer, but larger, farms. According to data from the Census of
Agriculture, which is administered by the USDA, National Agricultural Statistics
Service, the number of hog operations with inventory declined 37 percent between
1997 and 2002 and continued to drop through 2012. Despite ticking upward in
2017, the number of operations with inventory ended at roughly 66,000
operations, 47 percent less than in 1997. In contrast, the average farm size
roughly doubled over those two decades, as measured by the number of head of
hogs in inventory per farm. The share of the U.S. hog inventory on farms with
5,000 or more head rose from 40 percent in 1997 to 73 percent in 2017. Overall,
the U.S. hog inventory increased by 18 percent over the period, and the average
hog farm size rose to more than 1,000 head of hogs. Reductions in the number of
hog operations and increases in hog farm size have occurred alongside increases
in production contract use. For example, by 2017, the percentage of hogs sold
under a production contract rose to more than 50 percent in Iowa and Minnesota
(combined) and in North Carolina, three hog-producing States that together
contributed to more than half the hogs sold in the United States. From 2012 to
2017, contract production rose from 51 to 59 percent in Iowa and Minnesota and
from 83 to 91 percent in North Carolina. This chart appears in the USDA,
Economic Research Service report U.S. Hog Production: Rising Output and Changing
Trends in Productivity Growth, published in August 2022.


CALORIC SWEETENER AVAILABILITY DROPPED 17 PERCENT OVER LAST TWO DECADES


THURSDAY, DECEMBER 8, 2022

In 2021, the amount of caloric sweeteners available for consumption in the
United States was 17 percent less than in 1999, falling to 127.3 pounds per
person from 153.6 pounds. According to the USDA, Economic Research Service’s
(ERS) Food Availability (Per Capita) Data System, a reduction in the
availability of total corn sweeteners (high-fructose corn syrup, glucose syrup,
and dextrose) contributed to the drop. The availability of corn sweeteners fell
from a peak of 85.7 pounds per person in 1999 to 55.3 pounds in 2021. Shifting
preferences among consumers and food manufacturers, high corn prices, and
competition with refined cane and beet sugars and other caloric sweeteners have
contributed to this decline. The availability of refined cane and beet sugars
fell from 102.3 pounds per person in 1972 to 60.0 pounds in 1986 and remained
relatively flat for the next two and a half decades. Refined sugar availability
began to rise in 2010, surpassing corn sweeteners in 2011 and reaching 69.7
pounds per person in 2021. Per capita honey availability stood at 1.5 pounds and
per capita availability of edible syrups was 0.9 pounds in 2021. This chart is
from ERS’s Ag and Food Statistics: Charting the Essentials data product, updated
December 2022.


POPULARITY OF TANGERINES HAS SOARED, BUT ORANGES STILL FAVORED


WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 7, 2022

Fresh oranges have long been a favorite fruit of U.S. consumers. They currently
rank fourth among fresh fruit in per capita availability (a proxy for
consumption) after bananas, melons, and apples. Nonetheless, the U.S. palate has
changed over the last several decades. Between 2000 and 2022, domestic
availability of fresh oranges fell from 11.7 pounds to 8.3 pounds per person,
stabilizing over the last decade between 8 and 10 pounds depending on market
conditions. At the same time, the tangerine citrus commodity group has soared in
popularity, with per capita availability more than doubling between 2000 and
2022. This broad group includes tangelos, mandarins, clementines, and
traditional tangerines. A comparison of per capita fresh tangerine and fresh
orange availability over the last 20 years shows the share going to tangerines
increasing from 20 to 40 percent. Growth of the U.S. tangerine market coincides
with the launch of marketing campaigns for easy-peel seedless mandarins by some
of the more prominent citrus supply companies. This chart is based on USDA,
Economic Research Service (ERS) Fruit and Tree Nuts Yearbook Tables, released
November 2022. The data for this chart do not account for spoilage, waste, and
other losses. For data that takes these losses into account, see ERS’ Loss
Adjusted Food Availability.


ABOUT 40 PERCENT OF ALL COW-CALF OPERATIONS REPORTED USING ROTATIONAL GRAZING IN
2018


TUESDAY, DECEMBER 6, 2022

Rotational grazing is a management practice in which ranchers rotate cattle
through a series of paddocks. It is an alternative to continuous grazing in
which cattle stay on a single pasture. About 40 percent of all cow-calf
operations reported using a rotational grazing system, with cow-calf/retained
stocker producers leading adoption. Retained stockers keep one or more of their
calves through the initial feeder stage for later sale to feedlots. Based on
data collected from the 2018 Agricultural Resource Management Survey (ARMS)
Cattle and Calves Cost and Returns Report, 54 percent of retained stocker
operations have adopted some form of rotational grazing. This adoption rate is
more than the rate for strictly cow-calf producers, who sell all calves at or
around weaning (38 percent), or retained finisher producers, who retain calves
until market weight (50 percent). Retained stockers are much more likely to
employ intensive rotational grazing systems, which use an average grazing period
of 14 or fewer days per paddock, than strictly cow-calf operations and
finishers. Across all forms of cow-calf operations, 16 percent of producers use
intensive rotational grazing and 24 percent use basic rotational grazing (using
an average grazing period longer than 14 days per paddock). The type of grazing
system an operator selects can be part of managing forage production, forage
quality, animal health, and environmental quality. This chart appears in the
USDA, Economic Research Service report Rotational Grazing Adoption by Cow-Calf
Operations, published in November 2022.


COVER CROP MIXES ACCOUNT FOR 18 TO 25 PERCENT OF MAJOR COMMODITY ACREAGE WITH
COVER CROPS


MONDAY, DECEMBER 5, 2022

Farmers add cover crops to a rotation to provide living, seasonal soil cover
between the planting of two cash (commodity) or forage crops. Including cover
crops in a rotation can provide benefits such as improved soil health and water
quality, weed suppression, and reduced soil erosion. Data from the field-level
USDA Agricultural Resource Management Survey (ARMS) provide information on which
cover crops were grown in the fall before planting corn, cotton, and soybeans.
Cover crop mixes account for 18 to 25 percent of acres with cover crops.
However, the use of single-species cover crops is more common. For corn fields
in 2021, almost 75 percent of acres with cover crops used a grass or small grain
cover crop, such as cereal rye, winter wheat, or oats. At 44 percent of acreage,
cereal rye was almost twice as common as winter wheat (27 percent) as the cover
crop on corn for grain fields. Rye and winter wheat were also the most common
cover crops on soybean fields in 2018. Winter wheat was the most common cover
crop used on cotton fields in 2019. The original version of this chart appears
in the USDA, Economic Research Service report Cover Crop Trends, Programs, and
Practices in the United States, released in 2021.


FARM SECTOR PROFITS FORECAST TO REACH RECORD HIGHS IN 2022


THURSDAY, DECEMBER 1, 2022

USDA’s Economic Research Service forecasts inflation-adjusted U.S. net cash farm
income (NCFI)—gross cash income minus cash expenses—to increase by $30.1 billion
(19.1 percent) to $187.9 billion in 2022. This total would be the highest on
record for the inflation-adjusted data series. U.S. net farm income (NFI) is
forecast to increase by $10.7 billion (7.2 percent) to $160.5 billion in 2022,
its highest level since 1973 after adjusting for inflation. Net farm income is a
broader measure of farm sector profitability that incorporates noncash items
such as changes in inventories, economic depreciation, and gross imputed rental
income. Cash receipts from farm commodities drive these income increases, with a
projected increase of $78.5 billion (17.0 percent) to $541.5 billion, their
highest level on record. In addition, total commodity insurance indemnities paid
to farmers are expected to rise by $8.3 billion (70.1 percent) to $20.2 billion,
also a record. Production expenses are forecast to increase by $46.6 billion
(11.8 percent) to $442.0 billion in 2022, offsetting some income growth.
Additionally, direct Government payments to farmers are projected to decrease by
$11.0 billion (40.0 percent) from 2021 to $16.5 billion in 2022, mainly because
of lower anticipated USDA and non-USDA payments for Coronavirus (COVID-19)
pandemic assistance. Find additional information and analysis on the ERS topic
page for Farm Sector Income and Finances, reflecting data released on December
1, 2022.


LIVE HOLIDAY PLANT IMPORTS INTO THE UNITED STATES REACH $80 MILLION IN 2022


WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 2022

Christmas trees and poinsettias are iconic symbols of the holiday season. While
the vast majority are grown in the United States for domestic use, a small share
of both plants are imported from Canada. Trade is highly seasonal, with 99
percent of Christmas trees and 95 percent of poinsettias shipping between
November and December. From 2000–15, live Christmas tree imports averaged around
2 million trees per year at an inflation-adjusted annual value of $36.1 million.
However, by 2022, live tree imports reached nearly 2.8 million trees at a value
of $68 million. Import values of live trees had previously spiked in 2020
because of COVID-19 supply chain issues, and prices have remained relatively
high since. Poinsettias first grew in popularity as a Christmas flower in the
United States after they were brought from Mexico in the 1820s. In the early
2000s, the United States imported as many as 5.9 million live plants per year
before that number dipped to 1.2 million in 2011, in parallel to the narrowing
of the U.S. to Canadian dollar exchange rate. In recent years, the number of
plants has gradually increased with a more significant increase in value. In
2022, live poinsettia imports totaled 2.2 million plants worth $11.5 million.
This chart is drawn from the Outlook for U.S. Agricultural Trade published by
USDA’s Economic Research Service, November 2022.


REMOVAL OF CHINA’S DOMESTIC PRICE TRADE BARRIERS COULD INCREASE CHINA’S IMPORTS
OF AGRICULTURAL COMMODITIES


TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 29, 2022

China imported more than $205 billion worth of agricultural products in 2021,
including more than $37 billion from the United States, yet trade barriers
deterred China’s imports from reaching even higher levels. China’s import
barriers create what are called “price wedges,” in which domestic prices for
agricultural commodities including beef, corn, pork, and wheat are higher than
the world price. Researchers at USDA’s Economic Research Service (ERS) recently
found that removing these price wedges would lead to increases in agricultural
imports for the four commodities over the subsequent 5 to 10 years. For corn and
wheat, removing price wedges was estimated to increase China’s imports by 91 and
249 percent, respectively. Both of these commodities are subject to a
tariff-rate quota which could constrain additional imports. Removal of the beef
price wedge was estimated to increase China’s beef imports by 46 percent, while
for pork, it was estimated to increase China’s pork imports by 402 percent—the
largest increase among the commodities considered. Overall, the benefits of
removing these trade barriers would be widespread, increasing sales for
producers in the United States and other exporting countries and yielding lower
food prices for China’s consumers. This chart is drawn from the ERS report
China’s Import Potential for Beef, Corn, Pork, and Wheat, published in August
2022.


FARM SHARE OF U.S. FOOD DOLLAR REACHED HISTORIC LOW IN 2021


MONDAY, NOVEMBER 28, 2022

U.S. farm establishments received 14.5 cents per dollar spent on domestically
produced food in 2021—a decrease of 1.0 cent from a revised 15.5 cents in
2020—to the lowest recorded farm share value in nearly three decades. The
remaining portion of the food dollar—known as the marketing share—covers the
costs of getting domestically produced food from farms to points of purchase,
including costs related to packaging, transporting, processing, and selling to
consumers. One contributor to the 2021 decline in farm share was a shift to
food-away-from-home (FAFH) spending. Farm establishments typically receive a
smaller share of FAFH spending because of the large amount of value added by
FAFH outlets such as restaurants. As a result, the farm share generally
decreases when FAFH spending increases faster year-over-year than food-at-home
spending. FAFH spending increased markedly in 2021 after a sharp decrease early
in the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Accordingly, the farm share returned to
its pre-pandemic downward trend in 2021 after an increase in 2020. The USDA,
Economic Research Service (ERS) uses input-output analysis to calculate the farm
and marketing shares from a typical food dollar. The data for this chart can be
found in ERS’s Food Dollar Series data product, updated November 17, 2022.


MANY AMERICAN INDIANS AND ALASKA NATIVES ARE CONCENTRATED IN HIGH POVERTY RURAL
AREAS


FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 25, 2022

According to U.S. Census Bureau estimates for 2015-19, there were 469
nonmetropolitan (nonmetro) counties with a poverty rate of 20 percent or more,
which USDA, Economic Research Service (ERS) designates as high poverty. The high
poverty classification in more than half of the counties (236) is characterized
by a concentration of poverty within racial and ethnic minority groups,
including Black or African American (153 counties), Hispanic (49 counties) and
American Indian and Alaska Natives (34 counties). Many of the American Indian
and Alaska Native high poverty counties are areas of historic tribal presence or
were designated as reservation settlements in the 19th century. The average
poverty rate for those 34 counties is 31.5 percent for the total population and
40.5 percent for the American Indian and Alaska Native population alone, a level
considered to be extreme poverty. The average poverty rates for the other
racial-ethnic high poverty county types are below 30 percent for the total
population and below 40 percent for the Black or African American and Hispanic
population groups. This chart uses information from the ERS Atlas of Rural and
Small-Town America to update information on the Rural Poverty and Well-being
topic page and the Amber Waves feature Anatomy of Nonmetro High-Poverty Areas:
Common in Plight, Distinctive in Nature, published in February 2004.


CALIFORNIA LEAD SUPPLIER OF ORGANIC POTATOES AND SWEET POTATOES, WHILE
MASSACHUSETTS PRODUCES MOST ORGANIC CRANBERRIES


WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 2022

Certified organic versions of potatoes, sweet potatoes, cranberries, and celery
are widely available to consumers for the holidays and beyond. But where are
these organic crops produced? Organic potatoes (indicated by the brown State
color in the map above) most often come from California, which has 57 percent of
U.S. harvested acres, followed by Colorado. Organic sweet potatoes (blue flags
on map) come from California and North Carolina, which together have 91 percent
of the Nation’s acreage. The top organic cranberry-producing States (red flags)
are Massachusetts, with 66 percent of production, and Wisconsin. The U.S.
harvest season for cranberries runs from around mid-September until the end of
October, just in time for Thanksgiving. Organic celery production (green flag)
is almost exclusive to California (91 percent of the U.S. crop). Consumer demand
for organically produced food has grown since the 1990s, and certified organic
U.S. cropland acres increased by 73 percent from 2011 to 2019, with 3.5 million
acres in 2019. USDA implemented national organic standards in 2002 that required
certification for all except the smallest (less than $5,000 in sales) organic
growers. Organic farming systems rely on practices such as cultural and
biological pest management and prohibit nearly all synthetic chemicals in crop
production. This map includes data found in USDA, Economic Research Service’s
Organic Agriculture topic page and in the ERS State Fact Sheets data product.


RISING FOOD COSTS BAKED INTO THANKSGIVING PIES IN 2022, NO MATTER HOW YOU SLICE
IT


TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 22, 2022

Pie is a time-honored staple of Thanksgiving around the country. U.S. consumers
baking a homemade apple pie this year can expect to pay about $8.76 for the
ingredients, an increase of about 19.5 percent from 2021. Prices increased for
all ingredients. Apples comprised about half the cost of a pie ($4.56), and
prices for Granny Smith apples increased from an average $1.41 per pound in
October 2021 to $1.52 per pound in October 2022. Prices increased the most for
eggs (90.0 percent) and flour (34.6 percent), but rising butter costs had the
largest impact on the total, adding an additional $0.68 to the cost of a pie
between 2021 and 2022. If serving the apple pie a la mode, ice cream adds $0.36
per scoop. The most recent average price data are from October; prices for
Thanksgiving week may vary. For example, savings may occur if grocers offer
holiday discounts. USDA, Economic Research Service (ERS) used average price data
from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and USDA, Agricultural Marketing
Service Weekly Advertised Fruit and Vegetable Retail Price data to derive the
cost for the ingredients of an apple pie. Forecasts for aggregate food category
prices can be found in ERS’s Food Price Outlook data product, updated November
22.


U.S. CRANBERRY HARVEST EXPECTED TO BE 5 PERCENT LARGER IN 2022


MONDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2022

With the 2022 U.S. cranberry harvest wrapping up just in time for Thanksgiving,
this year’s crop is forecast to be 5 percent larger than last year’s crop. The
2022 cranberry crop is estimated at 7.44 million barrels but is expected to be
smaller than in any of the previous three years (2018–20). Cranberry production,
as measured by USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS), comes
from four States: Wisconsin, Massachusetts, Oregon, and New Jersey. In
Wisconsin, the largest growing State, production is forecast at 4.3 million
barrels, up 3 percent from last year. Larger crops are expected in all States
but most prominently in Massachusetts, where production is forecast at 2 million
barrels, an 11 percent increase from last year. According to NASS, Wisconsin and
Massachusetts growers reported the crop experienced cold, wet weather and hail
early in the growing season, stalling the planting season. However, warmer
temperatures and better weather conditions helped cranberry plants and berries
to develop. This chart is drawn from USDA, Economic Research Service’s Fruit and
Tree Nuts Outlook, September 2022.


THANKSGIVING IS FILLED WITH FOOD ACTIVITIES, WHILE NON-FOOD SHOPPING IS POPULAR
ON BLACK FRIDAY


THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 17, 2022

Do people really spend more time preparing food, eating, drinking, and cleaning
up the kitchen on Thanksgiving Day compared with other holidays? Do they really
spend more time shopping on Black Friday than on other days? The answer to both
questions is “Yes.” Over a survey period from 2003 to 2021, people in the United
States spent an average of 91 minutes eating and drinking on Thanksgiving Day.
This was 21 minutes greater than the time spent eating and drinking on average
for six other major holidays and 21 more minutes than on an average weekend day.
Similarly, compared with the average for non-Thanksgiving holidays and weekends,
people spent more time preparing meals and cleaning-up on Thanksgiving (126
minutes versus 47 minutes on non-Thanksgiving holidays and 36 minutes on
weekends). When it comes to the day after Thanksgiving, people in the United
States tend to spend more of their time shopping for items other than food
relative to other days. Indeed, people spent 41 minutes shopping for non-food
items on an average Black Friday, which is more than 240 percent higher than on
an average non-Thanksgiving holiday. For more information, see USDA, Economic
Research Service’s (ERS) Eating and Health Module of the American Time Use
Survey in ERS’s Eating and Health Module (ATUS) data product.


SHARE OF WORKING-AGE POPULATION IN NONMETRO AREAS DECLINED FROM 2010 TO 2020


WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 16, 2022

In nonmetro areas from 2010 to 2020, the working-age population (ages 18 to 64)
declined by 4.9 percent, and the population under age 18 declined by 5.7
percent. At the same time, the population of those 65 years and older grew by 22
percent. In metro areas, the working-age population increased by 6 percent
during the 2010s; however, this growth was overshadowed by the 37 percent growth
in the 65 and older population. Nationwide, the overall U.S. population has aged
as the baby boomer generation entered their 60s and 70s. Nonmetro areas, in
addition to having an aging population, also face population decline. Between
2010 and 2020, U.S. Census data show the population in nonmetro counties
declined by 0.6 percent, the first decade of overall nonmetro population decline
in U.S. census history. Nonmetro population subsequently increased in the first
year and a half of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic from 2020 to 2021 which
saw people move out of metro areas into rural places. However, population gains
due to COVID-19 were not enough to offset a decade-long slide in the share of
the population that is of working-age nor to reduce the share of the rural
population that was 65 or older during this period. Overall, population decline
and an increase in average age in rural areas will affect the makeup and
availability of the rural labor force. This chart appears in the USDA, Economic
Research Service report Rural America at a Glance: 2022 edition, published on
November 15, 2022.


AHEAD OF THANKSGIVING, AUGUST STOCKS OF FROZEN WHOLE HEN TURKEYS UP 12 PERCENT
FROM 2021 DESPITE AVIAN FLU PRODUCTION WOES


TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 15, 2022

U.S. residents gobble up a lot of turkey each year at Thanksgiving. In
anticipation of the holiday, producers raise turkeys and place inventories into
cold storage throughout the year, with inventories often reaching peak levels in
August. August 2022 storage data indicated that producers prioritized building
up supplies of whole hens in time for Thanksgiving despite an outbreak of avian
flu in 2022 that set back overall turkey production relative to the previous
year. While production of turkey for meat in 2022 was forecast in November to be
7 percent lower than in 2021, total turkey meat in cold storage at the end of
August 2022 was 1 percent higher than the same time last year. At the same time,
August cold stocks of whole hens, the birds typically served for Thanksgiving
dinner, were more than 12 percent higher than the same time last year at 114.4
million pounds, but below the 5-year average. August also marks the latest date
by which a turkey chick can mature in time for Thanksgiving. August placements
of turkey chicks were 2 percent above the 5-year average, indicating producers
were working to make up for lost production earlier in the year. As is typical,
September stocks were lower than August’s, falling to 105.4 million pounds but
remained nearly 9 percent higher than in September 2021. This chart first
appeared in USDA, Economic Research Service’s Livestock, Dairy, and Poultry
Outlook: October 2022.

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Last updated: Wednesday, March 09, 2022

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