Table 7.7 U.S. Agricultural Productivity Indexes, 1948-1996

  Farm input Farm output  
Year Purchased input Labor Capital Total Crops Livestock Total Total productivity
                 
  index (1948 = 100)
                 
1948 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100
1949 112 98 111 106 95 106 100 94
1950 113 94 121 106 91 110 99 94
1951 118 90 129 107 95 116 104 97
1952 119 88 137 107 98 118 107 100
1953 119 83 141 106 98 120 107 102
1954 112 81 145 102 95 124 108 105
1955 122 82 147 107 99 127 111 104
1956 126 77 148 107 99 130 112 105
1957 130 72 147 106 98 128 111 105
1958 135 69 146 106 107 129 117 110
1959 143 69 147 109 109 135 120 110
1960 143 67 147 108 113 134 122 113
1961 140 65 144 106 113 140 125 118
1962 142 64 143 106 115 141 126 119
1963 146 63 144 107 119 145 130 122
1964 145 59 144 105 115 149 130 124
1965 145 58 144 104 123 144 132 128
1966 154 54 146 105 121 147 133 127
1967 156 51 150 104 127 152 138 132
1968 151 49 151 102 130 152 140 137
1969 156 48 151 103 134 152 142 138
1970 158 48 151 103 129 158 142 137
1971 156 47 153 103 144 160 151 147
1972 160 46 152 103 143 162 152 147
1973 163 47 157 105 153 164 158 150
1974 165 43 162 105 140 161 149 142
1975 159 43 163 103 160 152 158 154
1976 169 43 165 106 159 160 161 151
1977 166 41 167 105 173 163 170 162
1978 189 39 167 110 178 163 173 157
1979 198 38 170 113 195 166 184 163
1980 202 37 174 114 177 174 177 155
1981 192 37 173 111 204 177 194 174
1982 184 36 171 109 205 175 194 179
1983 185 35 161 105 160 179 170 161
1984 180 35 164 105 200 176 192 183
1985 175 32 161 102 210 181 200 196
1986 171 30 155 98 198 182 194 198
1987 173 30 147 97 201 186 197 204
1988 172 31 144 96 176 190 185 193
1989 171 31 144 96 202 191 200 210
1990 178 30 142 97 217 193 210 217
1991 179 32 141 98 215 198 211 216
1992 178 30 140 96 235 203 224 234
1993 186 29 137 96 210 204 211 219
1994 190 29 136 97 249 218 240 247
1995 193 28 135 97 225 223 227 235
1996 183 30 135 96 242 222 237 247

Source: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service, Agricultural Outlook (USDA, ERS, Washington, DC, monthly).

Notes: Productivity = output/input. Purchased input includes chemicals, fuels, electricity, feed, seed, and livestock purchases; contract labor and custom machine services; machine and building maintenance and repair; irrigation from public sellers of water; and miscellaneous farm production items. Labor includes both hired and self-employed labor. Capital includes durable equipment and real estate. Livestock output includes meat animals, dairy products, poultry, eggs, wool, mohair, horses, mules, goats, sheep, rabbits, fur animals, aquaculture, honey, and beeswax. Crop outputs include food grains, feed grains, oil crops, sugar crops, cotton, cottonseed, vegetables, fruit trees, nut trees, tobacco, floriculture, ornamentals, Christmas trees, mushrooms, legume seeds, grass seeds, hops, mint, broomcorn, popcorn, hemp, and flax.

Last Updated on Thursday, September 23, 1999