Measuring Farm Sector Wealth and Income: Data Comparisons for Illinois Farms
In: Applied Economic Perspectives and Policy, Band 12, Heft 2, S. 305-318
ISSN: 2040-5804
AbstractThe farm sector balance sheet, income statement, and the Farm Costs and Returns Survey (FCRS) data are utilized to evaluate the financial conditions of American agriculture. This study compares estimated balance sheet and income statements using USDA and FCRS constructs with actual farm records for farms participating in the Farm Business Farm Management (FBFM) record‐keeping program. Results suggest a tendency for USDA and FCRS to report lower amounts of both assets and liabilities than FBFM records show, but this is explained in part by the inclusion of only farm business assets in the FCRS and USDA data sets. Income estimates do not vary greatly between the data sources.