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<br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br /> <br />n ""f!!1' ~ <br />U <j ~_ 0 ";;; Q <br /> <br />an impossibil ity, Low potential was assigned when physical characteristics <br />and or tract size were such that cropping woul d be uneconomic under any <br />foreseeable circumstances. High potential was assigned if, in the opinion <br />of local agricul tural ists (SCS district conservationist and county agent), <br />land at that pOint could be economically converted to harvested crops under <br />cost-price relationships as they existed in the previous year (1974 in the <br />case of the Potential Cropland Study and 1976 for the National Resource <br />Inventory), As 1974 was one of the most favorable years in recent history <br />and 1976 much less favorable, these two estimates give two pOints on a <br />crude supply function for crop- land. Table II-13 combines the resul ts of <br />the two surveys to give acreage estimates of 1 and economicallY feasible to <br />convert to cropland (high potential) and land near the breakeven point (me- <br />dium) at two ratios of prices received to prices paid. <br /> <br />These estimates of potential cropl and rest on a base of 413 mill ion acres <br />of committed cropland, of which 377 million acres were actually used for <br />crops, 20 million acres were idle or in soil conserving uses, and 16 mil- <br />lion acres were in rotation pasture. It is assumed that in any given year <br />simil ar magnitudes of cropl and woul d be temporarily diverted from actual <br />use for crops. <br /> <br />Table II-14 shows the 1977 use of land with high potential for conver- <br /> <br /> <br />sion under an assumed ratio of 97 of prices received to prices paid by <br /> <br /> <br />farmers. Al so shown are total acreage in these uses in 1977. <br /> <br />II-58 <br />