by $217 million. Marketing losses amount to $303 million, and 
processing losses to $271 million. Diseases, parasites, and 
insects cause a reduction of $2,688 million in the value of 
livestock and poultry and their products. This amounts to 
about 1) percent of the total value of such products, over 6 
percent of the total farm and forest production. These post~ 
harvest losses total about $3.9 billion and are equivalent to 
the potential production on over 32 million acres. The total 
preharvest and postharvest losses on cropland are equivalent 
to the potential production on almost 120 million acres, 
Losses in our forest resources amount to $28 million, or 
h9 percent of the potential annual growth on the stump, These 
losses are caused by fire, diseases, insects, wind, and mis- 
cellaneous damage to trees. They equal a potential production 
from over 226 million acres of forest land, or nearly 1 percent 
of the total potential farm and forest production. The total 
acreage of forest lands is 60 million acres. 
The diseases and insects attacking shade trees are estimated 
to cause $11 million damage. 
Soil-deterioration losses and flood damage on croplands, 
ranges, and watersheds amount to an estimated $1,512 million, 
in terms of the effect upon the value of the land. On croplands 
soil deterioration, principally soil erosion, causes an annual 
loss of $750 million, partly from rendering 500,000 acres of 
cropland unfit for cultivation, but more significantly through 
the reduction of productivity and increase in production costs 
on cropland that remains in cultivation. 
Nearly 120 million fewer acres of cropland, exclusive of 
pasture and range, would have produced the 192-51 volume of 
food, feed, and fiber production, if all causes of loss had 
‘been eliminated. If full production could be attained on the 
acres lost because of hazards to crops and livestock, we could 
expect to raise more than sufficient food, feed, and fiber for 
the increased population anticipated by 1975. However, full 
production on these acres cannot be expected. 
The extent to which losses in agriculture can be prevented 
through the utilization of known technical information has 
not heen examined in a comprehensive manner. However, several 
specific hazards are analyzed in the report. Losses from 
diseases of cotton could be reduced by about 75 percent, from 
apple diseases and from potato diseases about one-half, and 
from the diseases of wheat about 23 percent, if all producers 
would use recommended control procedures, and if weather per~ 
mitted their efficient use. 
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