Changing Sources of Farm Output

Excerpts from the report: Except for interruptions during the drought and depression period of the 1930’s, the volume of farm output for human use has trended consistently upward in the United States since 1870. Farm output in 1955, for example, was nearly five times the output 85 years previously. This long-term expansion in the production of food, fiber, and tobacco occurred in response to growth in market demand at home and abroad. Population increased more than fourfold during this period, and a much larger population is now better fed. The volume of exports in the mid-1950’ s was four times that of 1870. In recent years, however, farm output has increased faster than growth in market demand. This tendency toward overproduction of agricultural commodities has depressed farm prices and created major adjustment problems. What were the major sources of this increase in farm output for human use? This discussion is directed chiefly toward an attempt to answer this question. Sources of changes in farm output from the end of World War I to 1955 are emphasized.