AGRICULTURE 



As one of North Carolina's oldest industries, agriculture 

 makes an important and incalculable contribution to the State's 

 economy. With nearly 79,000 individual farms scattered across 

 the State and nearly 6 million acres of cropland in production 

 during a typical year. North Carolina is blessed with a 

 diversity of farms and crops produced. Still, the sheer volume 

 of farms and acres of cropland in production can easily lead 

 one to underestimate the full impact of agriculture to the 

 State's economy. While one-third of our farms generate annual 

 sales greater than ."plOjOOO nearly two-thirds generate sales 

 less than $10,000 per year. Rut, when agriculture and 

 agriculture-related industries are combined, they become the 

 number one contributor to the North Carolina economy. 



Agriculture and the agribusiness industry, though, are 

 experiencing serious financial problems. Many family farmers 

 continue to leave the industry due to bankruptcy and corporate 

 takeovers, and young individuals have shown a tendency to favor 

 other professions. While many sound reasons can be offered for 

 the current economic state of the industry, these factors -- 

 farmers leaving the industry, farms being lost, and young 

 individuals opting for other professions have had adverse 

 impacts and signal that the industry is in a state of flux. 



To address some of the industries' problems and assist it 

 in maintaining its viable economic standing as part of the 

 North Carolina economy, the Agriculture, Forestry, and Seafood 

 Awareness Study Commission makes the following findings and 

 recommendations to the 1987 General Assembly: 



8 



