Utah crop failures rise sharply

The number of Utah farms that had cropland in which all crops failed increased nearly sixfold from 1997 to 2002, according to the 2002 Agriculture Census, released Thursday.

The census, conducted every five years by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, counted 15,282 farms in Utah. The farms averaged 168 acres in size and sold more than $1 billion worth of agricultural products.

Kim Nielsen, deputy director of the Utah Agriculture Statistics Service, said the ongoing drought and other extreme weather (the 2000 frost, for example) explained many of the 2002 census results.

Among the more notable findings:

• The number of farms in Utah declined from 15,810 in 1997 to 15,282 in 2002.

• 1,740 farms reported they had cropland in which all crops on the land failed, compared to 308 farms in 1997. Total acreage on which all crops failed was 134,868 in 2002, compared to 18,287 in 1997.

• The market value of agriculture products sold was $888.6 million in 1997 and $1.1 billion in 2002.

• Women account for 24.7 percent of Utah farm operators. The number of farms in which Hispanics were principal operators increased from 141 in 1997 to 351 in 2002. Fifty-nine farms reported they were operated by Asians, while four reported black operators.

• Floriculture/horticulture emerged as a $100 million industry.

• 48 percent of all Utah farms had sales of less than $2,500. While 2.5 percent of Utah farms reported more than $500,000 in sales, those farms accounted for 63 percent of the value of all sales.

"Two years ago was the worst time ever" for Rowley's South Ridge Farms in Santaquin, said South Ridge co-owner, Tod Rowley. "We had not any fruit. Period. Not any."

South Ridge Farms grows sour cherries, apples, peaches, pears, apricots, sweet cherries and asparagus. The Santaquin grower was one of many farms to lose its entire crop during the frost of 2002.

But it wasn't just frost and drought that affected Utah farmers during the census period, said Randy Parker, president of the Utah Farm Bureau Federation.

"The numbers being released in the 2002 census point out graphically the impact the ongoing drought and low milk prices have had on two important segments of Utah agriculture: the cattle industry and dairy industry," Parker said.