Alabama Data and Statistics - FIC

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Alabama Data and Statistics

Welcome to the Alabama Statistics page. Here you will find frequently requested data specific to this state from AFT's Farms Under Threat: The State of the States report, the National Resources Inventory, the Census of Agriculture, and the Purchase of Agricultural Conservation Easement (PACE) program survey. You also can link to additional information and data sources.

On This Page

Farms Under Threat

National Resources Inventory

Census of Agriculture

Purchase of Agricultural Conservation Easement Programs

Other Data Sources

Farms Under Threat: The State of the States

Total and Agricultural Land Cover/Use

Data Item Acres
Total land area in 2016 33,049,300
Agricultural land in 2016 9,793,100
Cropland in 2016 3,236,300
Pastureland in 2016 3,519,100
Rangeland  in 2016 20,100
Woodland in 2016 3,017,500
Agricultural land in 2001 10,492,600

High-quality Agricultural Land

Data Item Acres
Nationally Significant agricultural land in 2016 4,500,200
Nationally Significant agricultural land in 2001 4,736,600
Best agricultural land in 2016 4,913,600
Best agricultural land in 2001 5,143,000

Nationally Significant agricultural land is the land best-suited to long-term, intensive crop production within the Conterminous United States; and each state’s “best land” is approximately the better half of all agricultural land in each state. For more information about these categories of high-quality agricultural land and how they were identified, see the interactive website for Farms Under Threat: The State of the States, and the fact sheet about AFT’s Productivity, Versatility, and Resiliency (PVR) Analysis.

Agricultural Land Converted from 2001-2016

Data Item Acres
Agricultural land developed or compromised 362,400
Agricultural land converted to urban and highly-developed land use (UHD) 100,200
Agricultural land converted to low-density residential land use (LDR) 262,200
Nationally Significant agricultural land developed or compromised 191,400
Nationally Significant agricultural land converted to UHD 55,400
Nationally Significant agricultural land converted to LDR 136,000
Best agricultural land developed or compromised 201,000
Best agricultural land converted to UHD 55,200
Best agricultural land converted to LDR 145,800

Learn More


2012 National Resources Inventory

1997-2002 2002-2007 2007-2012 1982-2012
Agricultural land converted to developed land (acres) 115,300 64,300 25,700 472,400
Agricultural land at the beginning of the reporting period (acres) 7,066,300 6,516,700 6,112,000 8,334,000
Prime agricultural land at the beginning of the reporting period (acres) 3,639,600 3,338,900 3,097,600 4,191,200
Forest land converted to developed land (acres) 231,700 138,700 57,600 781,900
Other rural land converted to developed land (acres) 7,000 12,000 2,900 30,900
Total surface area (acres) 33,423,800 33,423,800 33,423,800 33,423,800

Census of Agriculture

Data Item 2007 2012 2017
Farms 48,753 43,223 40,592
Land in Farms (acres) 9,033,537 8,902,654 8,580,940
Cropland (acres) 3,142,958 2,758,521 2,818,783
Permanent Pasture and Rangeland (acres) 2,017,079 2,269,315 2,132,820
Woodland (acres) 3,375,438 3,333,046 3,099,646
Land in Buildings (acres) 498,062 541,772 529,691
Total Land Area (acres) 33,049,282 33,049,282 33,049,282
All operators/All producers 70,959 64,054 65,459
All operators/All producers 34 and younger 5,606 4,579 4,942
All operators/All producers 65 and older 18,633 20,124 23,256
All producers with experience of 10 years or less on any farm 38,013
Principal producers 53,063
Principal producers 34 and younger 3,701
Principal producers 65 and older 20,231
Principal producers with experience of 10 years or less on any farm 15,050
Principal operators / Primary producers 48,753 43,223 40,592
Principal operators / Primary producers 34 and younger 2,499 2,045 2,517
Principal operators / Primary producers 65 and older 15,279 15,827 16,414
Primary producers with experience of 10 years or less on any farm 10,882
Market value of agricultural products sold $4,415,550,000 $5,571,173,000 $5,980,595,000
Average market value of agricultural products sold per operation $90,570 $128,894 $147,334
Market value of agricultural products sold directly to consumers $8,325,000 $9,183,000 $9,384,000
Market value of agricultural products sold directly to retail markets, institutions, and food hubs for local or regionally branded products $6,090,000

Notes on Changes to the 2017 Census of Agriculture

  • Producer characteristic data were collected for a maximum of four producers on each farm, up from a maximum of three producers in prior years.
  • Principal producer is a new term that identifies up to two main decision-makers on each farm, up from one principal operator in prior years.
  • Market value of agricultural products sold directly to consumers expanded to include value-added products.
  • Market value of agricultural products sold directly to retail markets, institutions, and food hubs for local or regionally branded products is a new data item.

 

 

 


Purchase of Agricultural Conservation Easement Programs

For summaries of PACE activity by state, use the links for the downloadable table or most recent fact sheets on the national statistics page under Purchase of Agricultural Conservation Easement Programs.


Other Data Sources

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