USDA ERS · state profile · DE · South
Delaware farm subsidy data
USDA farm program payments, conservation and disaster aid, crop receipts and net farm income for Delaware (fiscal year 2023), from USDA ERS Farm Income & Wealth Statistics and the USDA NASS Census of Agriculture.
- Total payments
- $12M
- Conservation
- $9M
- Disaster aid
- $3M
- Net farm income (2023)
- $717M
What the Delaware Farm Data Shows
Delaware has received $12M in USDA farm program payments in fiscal year 2023, including $9M in conservation payments (CRP, EQIP, CSP) and $3M in disaster assistance (CFAP, MFP, LFP, ERP). Net farm income for 2023 came in at $717M, sitting on top of $2.2B in gross cash income and $1.9B in total cash receipts from all commodities. The leading program category for Delaware is Conservation. These figures come straight from the USDA Economic Research Service Farm Income and Wealth Statistics release, the same source file that Congress, the Congressional Budget Office, and the Farm Service Agency use when they score Farm Bill proposals.
Delaware's agriculture is anchored by Poultry ($1.4B in cash receipts), Corn ($143M in cash receipts), Soybeans ($81M in cash receipts), with the top three commodities accounting for a significant share of the state's $1.9B in total cash receipts. The crop-insurance loss ratio, indemnities paid out divided by premiums collected, stands at 78%, with $$6M in premiums and $$4M in indemnity payments. A loss ratio below 100% indicates premium inflows have exceeded indemnity outflows in recent years, though individual-year volatility can be substantial.
Reading Delaware's farm data correctly means holding three lenses at once: commodity cash receipts (which track market activity), government payments (which track federal policy), and net farm income (which tracks actual economic outcomes). These three numbers move independently, a bumper crop year can drive up receipts while depressing prices and triggering government payments; a disaster year can crush receipts while unlocking indemnities and disaster aid. Use the payment history, county table, and nearby-state comparison below to benchmark Delaware against its region before drawing conclusions about the health, resilience, or federal dependence of the state's agricultural economy.
Payment History (Recent Years)
| Year | Total |
|---|---|
| 2024 | $11M |
| 2023 | $12M |
| 2022 | $23M |
| 2021 | $34M |
| 2020 | $48M |
| 2019 | $37M |
| 2018 | $17M |
| 2017 | $22M |
| 2016 | $18M |
| 2015 | $8M |
Cash Receipts by Commodity
Crop Insurance
Loss ratio = indemnities ÷ premiums. Above 100% means claims exceeded premiums.
Top counties in Delaware by commodity sales
Top 5 Delaware counties, commodity sales
Counties in Delaware (3)
| County | Farms |
|---|---|
| Sussex | 1,053 |
| Kent | 770 |
| New Castle | 335 |
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Farm Income and Wealth Statistics (1995-2024) USDA Economic Research Service, Farm Income and Wealth Statistics (1995-2024) County data: USDA NASS 2022 Census of Agriculture
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does Delaware receive in farm subsidies?
Delaware has received $12M in total USDA government farm payments (fiscal year 2023), including $9M in conservation payments and $3M in disaster assistance.
What programs does Delaware use most?
Delaware's leading program category is Conservation. Key programs include the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP), Agriculture Risk Coverage (ARC), Price Loss Coverage (PLC), and disaster assistance programs like CFAP and ERP.
What is Delaware's crop insurance loss ratio?
Delaware's crop insurance loss ratio is 78%, meaning insurers paid out 78% of every dollar collected in premiums. A ratio below 100% indicates premiums have exceeded indemnity payments in recent years.
What is Delaware's net farm income?
Delaware's net farm income is $717M (2023), with gross cash income of $2.2B and total cash receipts of $1.9B. Net farm income measures total agricultural output minus production expenses.
How much conservation funding does Delaware receive?
Delaware has received $9M in conservation program payments (fiscal year 2023). These include programs like the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP), Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP), and Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP), which support soil health, water quality, and habitat preservation.
What crops are most important to Delaware's agriculture?
Delaware's top agricultural commodities by cash receipts include Poultry ($1.4B), Corn ($143M), Soybeans ($81M). Total cash receipts across all commodities are $1.9B.
Agricultural Income
Compare in South
More Delaware farm data
Sources: USDA ERS · USDA NASS Census of Agriculture
USDA Economic Research Service
Farm Income and Wealth Statistics
Released: February 5, 2026
Coverage: fiscal year 2023
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.
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Every figure on PlainFarmData is rendered directly from the USDA Census of Agriculture and farm-subsidy program data, no number is typed in by an editor. State farm data is compiled directly from the USDA Census of Agriculture, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.