According to the latest Wisconsin Agriculture Statistics publication, farm expenses were up last year in Wisconsin, in part because the cost of producing food was higher than it was in previous years.
Farmers spent more on feed, seeds, and some fertilizers in 2013. Overall, farm production expenditures were up more than 3 percent compared to the year before.
U.S. Department of Agriculture State Statistician Greg Bussler said higher costs had some impacts on land sales.
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“The amount received per acre is really higher, at all-time levels,” said Bussler. “If farmers rented land, the rent was higher than usual because of the high cost that they received previous years for different crops.”
The report also found that the number of farms in Wisconsin remains consistent at about 69,800. The number of small farms declined while the number of larger, more profitable ones grew slightly.
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