Farm and ranch production expenditures for Nebraska totaled $24.5 billion in 2021, up 21% from a year earlier, according to USDA's National Agricultural Statistics Service. Livestock expenses, the largest expenditure category, at $6.52 billion, increased 30% from 2020. Rent, the next largest expense category, at $2.97 billion, increased 22% from 2020. Feed, the third largest total expense category at $2.96 billion, increased 36% from 2020.

Livestock expenses accounted for 27% of Nebraska's total production expenditures. Rent accounted for 12%, feed 12%, and farm services 8%.

The total expenditures per farm or ranch in Nebraska averaged $547,321 in 2021, up 23% from 2020. The livestock expense category was the leading expenditure, at $145,536 per operation, 588% above the national average. Rent expenditures, at $66,295 per operation, were 315% above the national average. The average feed expenditure, at $66,071, was 103% above the national average. Farm services expenditures per operation, at $45,536, were 103% above the national average.

These results are based on data from Nebraska farmers and ranchers who participated in the Agricultural Resource Management Survey conducted by USDA's National Agricultural Statistics Service. Producers were contacted in January through April to collect 2021 farm and ranch expenses.