Puerto Rico Agriculture

ACH17-14/June 2020

Highlights Results from the 2018 Census of Agriculture

United States Department of Agriculture

National Agricultural Statistics Service www.nass.usda.gov/AgCensus

Farms and Land

In 2018, Puerto Rico had 8,230 farms, 

down 37.5%, or 4,929 farms, from 2012. 

These farms accounted for 487,775 cuerdas of farmland, or 21.6% of all land in 

Puerto Rico. This was a decline of 97,213 

cuerdas (16.6%) from 2012. 

During the same time, the average farm 

size increased 33.3%, from 44.5 cuerdas 

in 2012 to 59.3 cuerdas in 2018.

Since 2012, the number of farms with 

sales over $1,000 declined sharply. The 

largest drop was for farms with sales 

of $1,000 to $4,999, falling by 60%. The 

only sales category that showed little 

change was for farms with less than 

$1,000 in sales, down 3%.

Twenty-Year Trends

Between 1998 and 2018, the number of Puerto Rico 

farms declined by more than half (58.7 %) and the 

amount of farmland declined 43.6%. At the same time, 

the average size of farms increased 36.6%, from 43.4 

cuerdas in 1998 to 59.3 cuerdas in 2018.

From 2012 to 2018, 

the number of the 

smallest size farms 

(less than 10 cuerdas) 

declined by more 

than half, and the 

number of farms 

with 10 to 49 cuerdas 

dropped by almost 

one-third. Almost 

75% of all farms in 

Puerto Rico are less 

than 50 cuerdas in 

size.

Since the last Census of Agriculture in 2012, the number of farms and the amount 

of land in farms in Puerto Rico experienced a large decrease while average farm size 

increased. 

Due to the conditions caused by Hurricane Maria, NASS delayed the Puerto Rico 

Census of Agriculture from 2017 to 2018. The delayed data collection period allowed 

for continued focus on hurricane recovery and a more accurate representation of 

Puerto Rico’s agriculture industry.

8,230

farms

487,775 

cuerdas

59.3 cuerdas

average farm size 

Farms and Farmland, 2012 and 2018

2012 2018 % change

Number of farms 13,159 8,230 -37.5

Land in farms (cuerdas) 584,988 487,775 -16.6

Average farm size (cuerdas) 44.5 59.3 +33.3

2012 2018

% 

change

Less than $1,000 2,973 2,885 -3

$1,000 to $4,999 4,001 1,592 -60

$5,000 to $19,999 3,501 1,805 -48

$20,000 to $39,999 968 648 -33

$40,000 or more 1,716 1,300 -24

Year

no. of 

farms

land in 

farms

1998 19,951 865,478

2002 17,659 690,687

2007 15,745 557,530

2012 13,159 584,988

2018 8,230 487,775

Size of Farm (cuerdas)

5,129

2,213

1 to 9

5,731

3,803

10 to 49

1,503 1,531

50 to 174

401 330

175 to 259

395 353

260 or more

2012 2018
Source: USDA NASS, 2017 Census of Agriculture.

Regions

no. of

farms 

total sales

($ millions)

Arecibo 933 139.1

Ponce 679 120.0

Caguas 1,157 53.3

Naranjito 840 45.3

Mayagüez 751 39.4

San Germán 955 39.1

Lares 1,362 34.2

Utuado 1,553 14.6

Total Value of Production by Region as Percent of Island Total, 2018

Region 4

PONCE

Region 2

ARECIBO

Region 5

CAGUAS

Region 1

UTUADO

Region 8

SAN GERMÁN

Region 7

LARES

Region 6

NARANJITO

Region 3

MAYAGÜEZ

3.0 or less

3.1 - 7.0

7.1 - 9.0

9.1 - 11.0

11.1 or more

USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer, and lender.

Sales Class

no. of 

farms

% of total 

farms

Less than $1,000 2,885 35

$1,000 to $4,999 1,592 19

$5,000 to $9,999 1,024 13

$10,000 to $59,999 1,732 21

$60,000 or more 997 12

SNAPSHOT

Puerto Rico Farmers, 2018

(percent)

Sex

Male 89

Female 11

Age

<35 4

35 - 64 55

65+ 41

Years farming

less than 10 27

10 or more 73

Lived on their farm 55

Worked off farm

No days 62

1 to 199 days 15

200+ days 23

Primary occupation

Farming 52

Other 48

With military service 8

Average age (years) 60.6 

Top Commodities 

Milk was the top commodity in Puerto Rico in 2018 with $172.2 million in sales, followed by 

grains and other field crops ($74.4 million), and plantains ($42.3 million). Over half of the value 

all agricultural products sold in 2018 came from milk and grains/field crops. 

Farms by Value of Sales 

Most farms in Puerto Rico are small, with 54% 

selling less than $5,000 in agricultural products 

during the census year. Nearly 1,000 farms had 

at least $60,000 or more in agricultural sales 

in 2018. 

Puerto Rico Agricultural Sales by Location 

Top Commodities ($ millions)

Fruits and coconuts 18.6

Poultry and poultry products 20.1

Vegetables/melons 33.5

Nursery/greenhouse/oriculture 34.9

Cattle and calves 37.7

Plantains 42.3

Grains/eld crops 74.4

Milk 172.2

About the Census

The Census of Agriculture, conducted 

once every five years, is a complete 

count of U.S. farms and ranches and 

the people who operate them. Results 

from the 2017 and earlier censuses 

are available at national, state, and 

county levels. 

See the searchable database Quick 

Stats, the new Census Data Query Tool, 

downloadable PDF reports, maps, and 

a variety of topic-specific products 

including profiles by race, ethnicity, 

and sex.

www.nass.usda.gov/AgCensus

Puerto Rico’s total agricultural sales in 2018 was 

$485 million, divided almost equally between 

sales of crops and livestock. Total sales fell 

11.4% between 2012 and 2018, with large 

decreases in sales of plantains, fruits, coffee, 

and poultry and poultry products.

What is a “farm”?

The Puerto Rico Census of Agriculture 

defines a farm as any place from which 

$500 or more of agricultural products 

were produced and sold, or normally 

would have been sold, during the 

census year.

1 cuerda = 0.971 acres.