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Farm Income and Costs: Glossary

Net Farm Income

Net farm income is that portion of the net value added by agriculture to the national economy earned by farm operators (i.e., the entrepreneurial earnings of those individuals who share in the risks of production and materially participate in the operation of the business). Farm operators typically benefit most from the increases and assimilate most of the declines arising from short-term, unanticipated weather and market conditions.

What is the difference between net farm income and net cash income?

  • Net farm income differs from net cash income by accounting for the value of home consumption, changes in inventories, capital replacement, and implicit rent and expenses related to the farm operator's dwelling that are not reflected in cash transactions during the current year.

What does net farm income measure?

  • Net farm income is a value of production measure, indicating the farm operators' share of the net value added to the national economy within a calendar year, independent of whether it is received in cash or a noncash form such as increases/decreases in inventories and imputed rental for the farm operator's dwelling.

For more information, contact: Timothy Park

Web administration: webadmin@ers.usda.gov

Updated date: September 14, 2010