The Chronicles Of Grant County
Agriculture In Hidalgo County
There were 152 farms operating in Hidalgo County in 2022. (The map was provided courtesy of the United States Department of Agriculture, 2024.)
There was a slight increase in the number of farms in Hidalgo County during the five years from 2017 to 2022. There was also a steady decrease in the amount of acreage used for agricultural purposes in Hidalgo County during the time period from 2012 to 2022.
In 2022, there were 152 farms in Hidalgo County. This was an increase in the number of farms in the county from 2017 when there were 151 farms in the county. The number of farms in 2017 was 12% less than the number of farms in 2012 in Hidalgo County.
A total of 97% of these farms were family farms in 2022; the percentage was 95% in 2017.
These statistics – and other statistics detailed in this news series – are from reports issued by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA).
The USDA conducts its Census of Agriculture every five years. The results of the 2022 Census, the most recent one completed, were released earlier in 2024. This series of news columns includes information from that Census as well as the 2017 and 2012 Censuses of Agriculture.
Please note that the USDA redacted certain information from these reports.
Farms in Hidalgo County included a total of 699,048 acres of land in 2022. This amount of acreage was an 18% decrease in acreage used by farms from 2017 when 848,867 acres were used by farms in the county. That amount of acreage in 2017 was 9% less than the amount of acreage used by farms in Hidalgo County in 2012.
The average size of a farm in Hidalgo County in 2022 decreased by 18% from the average size of a farm in 2017. In 2022, the average size of a farm in the county was 4,599 acres; in 2017, it was 5,622 acres. That average size of a farm in 2017 reflected a 3% increase in the average size of a farm in the county from 2012.
More than one-third (36%) of the farms in Hidalgo County each included more than 1,000 acres in 2022; 55 farms were in this category. Twenty percent of the farms in the county each included 50 to 79 acres in 2022; 30 farms were in that category. Thirteen percent of the farms each included 180 to 499 acres and an equal percentage of the farms each included 500 to 999 acres in that year; 20 farms fit in each of these categories.
Five years earlier, in 2017, 46% of the farms each had more than 1,000 acres in Hidalgo County; 69 farms each had more than 1,000 acres in 2017. Fifteen percent of the farms each included 500 to 999 acres in that year; 23 farms fit in this category. Farms with 180 to 499 acres each (22 farms) also represented 15% of all farms in Hidalgo County in 2017.
The market value of products sold by farms in Hidalgo County was $31,957,000 in 2022. This was a 36% increase from the market value of products sold by farms five years earlier. Then, the market value of products sold by farms in the county was $23,420,000; that value was a 20% decrease from the market value of products sold in 2012.
About one-third (30%) of the farms in Hidalgo County each had sales valued at less than $2,500 in 2022; 46 farms fit in this category. In 2017, 25% of the farms in the county had sales valued at less than $2,500; 37 farms were in that category.
One-fourth (25%) of the farms in Hidalgo County – 38 farms – had sales valued at more than $100,000 in 2022. This was an increase from 2017 when 32 farms, representing 21% of all of the farms in the county, each had sales of that level in the county.
Of the $31,957,000 in market value of products sold by farms in Hidalgo County in 2022, $21,238,000 were in crops and $10,719,000 were in livestock, poultry, and products.
The only major category of crops specifically identified in this county was "other crops and hay" (valued at $2,297,000) in 2022.
Only one major category was noted for the livestock, poultry, and products: cattle and calves. Products in this category were valued at $10,142,000 in 2022.
Of the $23,420,000 in market value of products sold by farms in Hidalgo County in 2017, $12,956,000 were in crops and $10,464,000 were in livestock, poultry, and products.
As in 2022, the only category of crops specifically identified in this county was "other crops and hay" (valued at $6,850,000) in 2017.
Only one major category of livestock, poultry, and products specifically identified in this county was sheep, goats, wool, mohair, and milk (valued at $52,000) in 2017.
Government payments to farms in Hidalgo County increased 29% from $1,565,000 in 2017 to $2,017,000 in 2022. The government payments in 2017 were 27% more than the government payments made to farms in the county in 2012.
The net cash income of farms in Hidalgo County decreased by 51% from 2017 to 2022. Net cash farm income was $3,665,000 in 2022, and $7,451,000 in 2017. The net cash farm income in 2017 was 28% lower than the net cash farm income in 2012.
There were 282 producers of agricultural products in Hidalgo County in 2022. Of that number, 160 were male and 122 were female. Of the total number of producers, 108 were 65 years of age or older and 265 were White. Sixty-seven of the total number of producers were new and beginning farmers, 18 of the total had served in the United States military, and 38 of the total were of Hispanic origin.
There were 265 producers of agricultural products in Hidalgo County in 2017. Of that number, 161 were male and 104 were female. Of the total number of producers, 103 were 65 years of age or older and 263 were White. Sixty-six of the total number of producers were new and beginning farmers, 21 of the total had served in the United States military, and 25 of the total were of Hispanic origin.
As of December 31, 2022, there were 18,935 cattle and calves, 633 horses and ponies, 344 egg-laying chickens, 65 goats, 52 pullets, and 23 broilers and other meat-type chickens in Hidalgo County.
As of December 31, 2017, there were 22,692 cattle and calves, 439 horses and ponies, 154 egg-laying chickens, 136 sheep and lambs, and 101 goats in Hidalgo County.
Information on agriculture in Catron County will be included in Part Four of this news series.
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