U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE MONTANA DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 



MONTANA AGRICULTURAL STATISTICS SERVICE 



32 



P.O. BOX 4369 " HELENA, MONTANA 59604 

 (406) 449-5303 



FOREWORD 



It's a fact that those with the best information usually make the 

 best decisions. The purpose of this publication is to provide a comprehen- 

 sive summary of both state and county agricultural statistics for Montana. 

 Data users rely on this information to help them evaluate alternatives in 

 the decision making process. 



This year's issue is a continuation of a series of agricultural 



statistics bulletins dating back to 1946--forty years ago. The bulletin 



is provided free of charge to those who provide input data, but starting 



last year, others are charged $5.00 per copy to help cover publication costs. 



Agriculture is the most important industry in Montana. Sales from 

 agricultural products usually represent one-third or more of the total rev- 

 enue produced by Montana industries. Sales from the state's 23,800 farms 

 and ranches contributed 1.4 billion dollars to the economy in 1985. 



Low prices and reduced production due to drought have caused severe 

 financial problems for many Montana producers in recent years. Wheat pro- 

 duction in 1985 was the lowest since 1939! 



The bulletin also includes special statistical data on grain movement, 

 wheat utilization, and wheat and barley varieties. This information would 

 not be available without funding support from the Montana Wheat Research and 

 Marketing Committee. 



We owe a sincere thanks to all the farmers, ranchers and agri-business- 

 men who voluntarily fill out questionnaires or answer phone requests to pro- 

 vide the basic information for this report. We also appreciate the hard work 

 and dedication of our staff of Statisticians, support personnel, and field 

 and telephone interviewers who are responsible for the collection and summar- 

 ization of this information. A special thanks to Carol Jean Smith who had 

 overall responsibility for bulletin layout, charts and pictures, and computer 

 processing. 



Imp^^ 



.yVfe H. Pratt, 

 State Statistician 



