Good News, Bad News for Pennsylvania Farmers, Consumers

January 4, 1996


Good News, Bad News for Pennsylvania Farmers, Consumers


     Middletown, Pa. --  With the Pennsylvania Farm Show soon
to open its doors for another celebration of Commonwealth
agriculture, there is good and bad news for farmers and consumers.

     Pennsylvania's total value of all livestock, which includes
cattle, hogs and sheep, was $1.45 billion at the end of 1994, a
decrease from the $1.51 billion figure at the end of 1993.

     Statistics compiled by the Pennsylvania State Data Center at
Penn State Harrisburg show the number of Pennsylvania farms
reporting cattle inventory was unchanged from 1993 at 33,000 farms. 
This is a sharp decline from the 1989 figure of 40,000. 

     All cattle in the Commonwealth totaled 1.75 million on January
1, 1995. On January 1, 1994, there were 1.78 million head in
Pennsylvania. The state ranked 21st in cattle inventory in the United
States on Jan. 1, 1995. Lancaster County was the state leader with
250,000 head, followed by Franklin with 96,000 and Bradford,
92,000. In 1994, Lancaster County reported 252,000 head and
Franklin 94,400 and Bradford with 99,000.

     There were 1,090,000 hogs and pigs across the
Commonwealth at the end of 1994, with a value of $61,040,000. At
the end of 1993, there were 1,060,000 across the state with a total
value of $76,320,000. On the downside, there are now 200 fewer
hog farmers, 5,800 (6,000 in 1993 and 8,500 in 1989). In 1994
Pennsylvania's hog inventory was 12th in the nation.

     Sheep and lamb inventory on January 1, 1995, totaled
110,000 head with a value of $11,000,000. The January 1, 1994,
inventory showed 127,000 head at a value of $9,652,000.
Pennsylvania ranked 17th in the nation for sheep and lamb in 1994
and 1995.

     Washington County had the largest sheep and lamb inventory,
9,100 head, as of January 1, 1995, with Green County a close
second at 8,400  and Lancaster County third at 6,700.  

     The state-sponsored Pennsylvania State Data Center is the
Commonwealth's official source of population and economic statistics
and services. It is based at Penn State Harrisburg's Institute of State
and Regional Affairs, School of Public Affairs.

     EDITORS:  Contact:  Joan Campbell at The Pennsylvania
State Data Center at (717) 948-6336 or the Penn State Harrisburg
Public Information Office at (717) 948-6029.

Source of Information:	Pennsylvania Department of
			Ariculture
			
Accompany Table:        Livestock on Farm and Value, 1994-1995