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Computer Use on N.D. Farms Above U.S. Average
North Dakota Ag Connection - 08/21/2017

According to the USDA's National Agricultural Statistics Service, 78 percent of North Dakota farms had access to computers in 2017. This compares to the national average of 73 percent. Seventy-five percent of farms in North Dakota had internet access, this is unchanged from the last time this data was collected in 2015.

In 2017, USDA-NASS added two additional methods that farmers could select for accessing the Internet. Fiberoptic and mobile Internet service for a cell phone or other device are the two access methods added to the Farm Computer Usage and Ownership report. Fiber-optic was used by 8 percent of the farms, and mobile Internet service was used by 17 percent. However, DSL (Digital Subscriber Line) connection continues to be the most common method of accessing the Internet, with 29 percent of the farms in the United States using it, down from 30 percent in 2015. A satellite connection, at 21 percent, remained steady from 2015. Other reported methods of accessing the Internet include cable modem service, dialup service, and other or don't know. Cable modem service is at 15 percent, up 3 percentage points from 2015. Dialup service is at 2 percent, down 1 percentage point from 2015. Other or unknown is at 8 percent, up 3 percentage points from 2015.

Nationally, 73 percent of farms have computer access. Of those farmers having computer access, 72 percent, up 1 percent from 2015, own or lease a computer. Computer access by national sales class is 71 percent for sales class $1,000-$9,999; 70 percent for sales class $10,000-$99,999; 76 percent for sales class $100,000-$249,999; and 85 percent for sales class $250,000 or more.

Computer usage for farm business at 47 percent nationally, is up 4 percentage points from 2015. This compares with usage by the four geographic regions: West (49 percent), North Central (50 percent), Northeast (48 percent), and the South (42 percent). Comparing computer usage by crop and livestock farms nationally, 52 percent of the crop producers use the computer for farm business, compared to 42 percent of the livestock producers. A new questions in 2017, reported 39 percent of producers nationally use a tablet or smart phone for farm business.


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