JEFFERSON CITY — The FCC’s Office of Economics and Analytics has released a new paper titled “Impact of Broadband Penetration on U.S. Farm Productivity.” This novel report finds that broadband availability has significant positive impacts on crop yields and other farm production metrics.
The working paper analyzes the impact of increased broadband availability in rural areas on the productivity of U.S. farms, drawing on both FCC data on broadband availability by census tract and U.S. Department of Agriculture data on agricultural productivity by county, for key row crops like corn, cotton, hay, and soybeans. The working paper finds statistically significant effects of increased broadband service, both in terms of lower costs (fertilizer, fuel, seed, etc.) and higher production (yield). To cite one striking result, the analysis finds that a 1% increase in the number of 25 Mbps/3 Mbps or better broadband connections per 1,000 households is associated with a 3.6% increase in corn yields, as measured in bushels per acre.
To learn more about the FCC’s broadband impact report, click here!
— Missouri Department of Agriculture
For more news from Missouri, click here.
RECOMMENDED ARTICLES
WASHINGTON — The federal government is pouring billions of dollars into expanding broadband internet access. But it’s at the state level where the financial rubber meets the fiber-optic road. History suggests some states are ahead of the game while others will have to play catch-up. The recently signed Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act includes significant […]
WASHINGTON — The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act signed into law by President Joe Biden on Nov. 15, 2021, was hailed by the White House and advocates as a historic investment to improve internet access in America. As a researcher who studies internet policy and digital inequality, I believe the infrastructure plan should be celebrated as a historic moment for […]
LAKE CRYSTAL, Minn. — The September 10 USDA Crop Report increased the projected U.S. average corn and soybean yields for 2021, as compared to the August National Ag Statistics Service (NASS) yield estimates. The latest NASS yield estimates were based on U.S. crop conditions as of September 1st; and were the first 2021 yield USDA […]
LAKE CRYSTAL, Minn. — The August 12 USDA Crop Report projected an increased 2021 average U.S. corn yield compared to last year and a similar national average soybean yield to 2020; however, it should be noted that both yield levels were reduced from the July USDA estimates. The August yield and production projections were based […]
