North Dakota Farm Internet Access Increases
North Dakota
A total of 58 percent of North Dakota farms now have Internet access,
compared with 53 percent in 2003 when Internet access was last measured.
This is according to the USDA, National Agricultural Statistics Service,
North Dakota Field Office which conducted a survey of farm and ranch
operators in early June. North Dakota farms using computers for their
farm business increased from 39 percent in 2003 to 41 percent in 2005.
Sixty-five percent of all North Dakota farms have computer access in
2005, up from 61 percent in 2003.
Only 6 percent of North Dakota farms use the Internet to purchase
agricultural inputs, down from 8 percent in 2003. Ten percent use the
Internet to conduct agricultural marketing activities, equal to 2003.
Two new questions were asked in 2005, including how operators access the
Internet. Dial-up was the most common method of accessing the Internet
at 62 percent for North Dakota. Twenty-five percent of North Dakota farm
operators indicated that they had conducted non-agricultural business
via the Internet in the last 12 months.
Internet access for neighboring states has Minnesota at 56 percent;
South Dakota at 55 percent; and Montana at 70 percent in 2005.
United States
A total of 51 percent of U.S. farms now have Internet access, compared
to 48 percent with Internet access in 2003. Fifty-eight percent of farms
have access to a computer in 2005, the same level as 2003. Fifty-five percent
of all U.S. farms own or lease a computer, up slightly from 54 percent in
2003. Farms using computers for their farm business increased 1 percent
from 2003 to 31 percent in 2005.
In 2005, 79 percent of U.S. farms with sales and government payments of
$250,000 or more have access to a computer, 77 percent own or lease a
computer, 66 percent are using a computer for their farm business, and
72 percent have Internet access. For farms with sales and government
payments between $100,000 and $249,999, the figures are: 69 percent have access
to a computer, 67 percent own or lease a computer, 51 percent are using a
computer for their farm business, and 59 percent have Internet access.
For farms with sales and government payments between $10,000 and $99,999,
there were 54 percent that reported having computer access, 51 percent own or
lease a computer, 33 percent use a computer for their farm business, and
46 percent have Internet access.
Farm Computer Usage: By Type of Farm,
Selected States/Regions and United States, 2001, 2003 and 2005
Percent of Farms
States/Regions With Computer Using Computers With Internet
Access for Farm Business Access
2001 2003 2005 2001 2003 2005 2001 2003 2005
- - - Percent - - -
North Dakota 59 61 65 38 39 41 47 53 58
Minnesota 55 64 61 34 34 32 40 52 56
Montana 71 72 75 43 44 40 57 63 70
South Dakota 56 61 66 31 33 40 43 45 55
North Central 1/ 58 61 60 32 34 34 44 50 51
Crop Farms 58 61 62 33 34 35 44 50 53
Livestock Farms 59 61 58 32 33 33 43 49 50
West 2/ 67 70 69 39 41 36 54 60 62
Crop Farms 67 69 67 41 43 37 54 59 60
Livestock Farms 69 70 71 38 39 36 56 60 64
US 3/ 55 58 58 29 30 31 43 48 51
Crop Farms 57 60 60 31 33 33 44 49 52
Livestock Farms 55 56 57 27 27 29 42 47 50
1/ Includes IL, IN, IA, KS, MI, MN, MO, NE, ND, OH, SD, and WI.
2/ Includes AZ, CA, CO, ID, MT, NV, NM, OR, UT, WA, and WY. 3/ Excludes
AK and HI.
FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT:
David Knopf, Director
USDA, NASS, North Dakota Field Office
NDSU, IACC Bldg., Room 448
P.O. Box 3166
Fargo, ND 58108-3166
Telephone: (701) 239-5306
E-Mail: nass-nd@nass.usda.gov
Internet: http://www.nass.usda.gov/nd/