Farmers planted 305 million acres to major crops in 1987, a decrease of 23 million acres from 1986. During this period, production costs rose. Prices for seed, fertilizers, chemicals, and fuel fell, while prices for machinery, general supplies, wages, and taxes rose. The costs and returns in this report are consistent with regional and national weighted averages published annually in the Economic Indicators of the Farm Sector: Costs of Production. The estimates are preliminary and subject to revision.