USDA revised its total premises count for U.S. livestock farms - for National Animal Identification System (NAIS) purposes - from 2.1 million total premises to 1.4 million. The 2.1-million figure had been based on figures from the National Agriculture Statistics Survey (NASS), which USDA says it learned counted locations for each species a producer owned. Thus, the 2.1-million figure included duplications for operations of more than one livestock commodity.

After a NASS recalculation of the statistics to remove duplications, USDA says the resulting estimate of 1,433,582 livestock farms in the U.S. offers a more accurate figure for the purposes of NAIS.

Under the new NASS estimates, number of livestock operations by state includes: Alabama, 35,336; Alaska, 307; Arizona, 5,163; Arkansas, 37,417; California, 32,340; Colorado, 22,909; Connecticut, 2,506; Delaware, 1,541; Florida, 28,062; Georgia, 35,349;

Hawaii, 1,335; Idaho, 18,687; Illinois, 30,011; Indiana, 34,758; Iowa, 47,246; Kansas, 39,333; Kentucky, 61,184; Louisiana, 19,311; Maine, 4,150; Maryland, 7,799; Massachusetts, 3,427; Michigan, 28,953; Minnesota, 44,109; Mississippi, 28,917; Montana, 78,966;

Nebraska, 30,815; Nevada, 2,518; New Hampshire, 2,265; New Jersey, 5,286; New Mexico, 11,241; New York, 25,440; North Carolina, 35,990; North Dakota, 14,080; Ohio, 48,013; Oklahoma, 71,388; Oregon 28,545; Pennsylvania, 42,071; Rhode Island, 489;

South Carolina, 16,087; South Dakota, 22,351; Tennessee, 67,903; Texas, 187,006; Utah, 12,436; Virginia, 37,532; Vermont, 4,429; Washington, 21,853; Wisconsin, 51,193; West Virginia, 17,634; and Wyoming; 8,211.

Animal owners can voluntarily participate by registering their premises with their State, Tribe, or Territorial animal health authority online, by telephone, or by mail. Register online at: animalid.aphis.usda.gov/nais/premises_id/register.shtml.
-- Joe Roybal