USDA released its 2022 Census of Agriculture survey data, revealing an ongoing decline in the amount of U.S. farming operations. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack says he is concerned, and that the latest decline is “significant”. Data from 2017 showed more than two million farms. In just five years, the country lost more than 140,000 farms.

The secretary also says the U.S. lost 20 million acres of farmland in the same timeframe. However, economic value has risen despite the decline in numbers. U.S. farms and ranches produced $543 billion in agricultural products, up from $389 billion in 2017. The Census of Agriculture survey guides agency decision-making on policy, farm and conservation programs, infrastructure, rural development and more.

Read more on census data here.