Look for another round of farm, consolidation, older farmers, and higher farm income by the turn of the century. The number of farmers by then may be 20 percent below the 1982 figure. Abetting these changes are the precarious financial position of many who began farming in the 1970's and fewer farm children to take over from parents. These trends may portend slower productivity growth, more leasing of farmland, and a changing marketplace for businesses and institutions serving the farm sector.
