Biggest agricultural exports in every state

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January 28, 2021
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Biggest agricultural exports in every state

There are more than 2 million farms in the United States, about 98% of which are operated by families, individuals, family partnerships, or family corporations, according to the American Farm Bureau Federation. More than 80% of all agricultural products in America are produced on family ranches or farms. A single farm feeds an average of 166 people per year, both in the U.S. and abroad. Even so, farming is a mere sliver of the U.S. economy, representing just 1% of America’s GDP—farm and ranch families make up less than 2% of America’s population.

More African Americans are operating farms now than ever before, likewise for Hispanic and Latino farm operators. One in four farmers are beginning farmers, a term that represents those with fewer than 10 years in agriculture work. More than 10% of U.S. farmers served or are serving in the military.

America imports more than $125 billion worth of agricultural products a year, but the country maintains a positive trade balance by exporting more than $135 billion worth. Stacker developed a list of each state’s top agricultural exports and ranked them against all states using 2019 agricultural export data from the USDA released Oct. 26, 2020. The USDA estimates agricultural commodity exports based on U.S. farm cash receipts data.

Some categories are cut and dried, others, not so much. “Other livestock products,” for example, includes other non-poultry meats, animal fat, live farm animals, and other animal parts. The “other poultry products” classification includes turkey meat, eggs, and other fowl products. Then there’s “feeds and other feed grains.” That refers to processed feeds, fodder, barley, oats, rye, and sorghum. The “other oilseeds and products” category refers to peanuts (oil stock), other oil crops, cornmeal, other oilcake and meal, protein substances, bran, and residues. Finally, there are “other plant products,” which include sweeteners and products, other horticulture products, planting seeds, cocoa, coffee, and other processed foods.

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Alabama

- 2019 top agricultural exports:
- #1. Broiler meat: $345.7 million (#4 among all states)
- #2. Cotton: $308.5 million (#6)
- #3. Other plant products: $234.3 million (#23)
- #4. Other oilseeds and products: $95.5 million (#6)
- #5. Other livestock products: $69.3 million (#15)
- #6. Other poultry products: $66.3 million (#12)
- #7. Soybeans: $55.1 million (#24)
- #8. Beef and veal: $49.7 million (#29)
- #9. Feeds and other feed grains: $30.2 million (#35)
- #10. Corn: $26.1 million (#27)

Families or individuals operate more than 90% of all farms in Alabama, according to a 2019 Alabama Department of Agriculture and Industries report. The state’s agricultural producers sold $6 billion worth of products that year, but those products cost $4.6 billion to produce.

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Alaska

- 2019 top agricultural exports:
- #1. Other plant products: $13.9 million (#50 among all states)
- #2. Other livestock products: $1.8 million (#49)
- #3. Feeds and other feed grains: $0.9 million (#45)
- #4. Beef and veal: $0.4 million (#49)
- #5. Grain products, processed: $0.4 million (#45)
- #6. Pork: $0.2 million (#47)

With the number of farms in the state jumping by 30% from 2012 to 2017, Alaska has experienced a boom in agriculture, according to Politico. Residents across the state have adopted a local-first attitude toward eating, and it shows in the number of young people taking up the trade. No other state has a higher percentage of beginning farmers.

 

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Arizona

- 2019 top agricultural exports:
- #1. Vegetables, processed: $500.5 million (#2 among all states)
- #2. Vegetables, fresh: $298.3 million (#2)
- #3. Other plant products: $254.0 million (#21)
- #4. Cotton: $162.6 million (#11)
- #5. Dairy products: $124.5 million (#14)
- #6. Beef and veal: $95.8 million (#19)
- #7. Tree nuts: $66.7 million (#6)
- #8. Fruits, fresh: $53.9 million (#8)
- #9. Feeds and other feed grains: $47.1 million (#29)
- #10. Fruits, processed: $46.7 million (#8)

Cotton is a significant export in Arizona—but that could all be changing. Cotton planting plummeted in the state from 695,000 acres in 1953 to 168,000 today, according to a report from Phoenix local media outlet KTAR News. 

 

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Arkansas

- 2019 top agricultural exports:
- #1. Rice: $722.0 million (#1 among all states)
- #2. Soybeans: $679.3 million (#11)
- #3. Cotton: $427.3 million (#5)
- #4. Broiler meat: $411.6 million (#2)
- #5. Soybean meal: $159.8 million (#11)
- #6. Other poultry products: $137.7 million (#4)
- #7. Vegetable oils: $96.5 million (#11)
- #8. Grain products, processed: $89.6 million (#15)
- #9. Other plant products: $75.3 million (#41)
- #10. Feeds and other feed grains: $73.2 million (#22)

Arkansas boasts eight agricultural products with nine-figure exports, but hemp is not one of them. According to a local NBC affiliate, the state’s farmers are losing out on a boom that started with the 2018 legalization of hemp production, an event that happened to coincide with the current frenzy over CBD oil, which is a hemp-based product. Thanks to an odd and seemingly self-defeating state law, Arkansas hemp farmers are the only growers in the country who are not allowed to sell hemp directly to retailers at retail prices.

 

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California

- 2019 top agricultural exports:
- #1. Tree nuts: $8.5 billion (#1 among all states)
- #2. Other plant products: $3.4 billion (#1)
- #3. Fruits, fresh: $2.8 billion (#1)
- #4. Fruits, processed: $2.4 billion (#1)
- #5. Vegetables, processed: $2.0 billion (#1)
- #6. Vegetables, fresh: $1.2 billion (#1)
- #7. Dairy products: $1.1 billion (#1)
- #8. Rice: $608.0 million (#2)
- #9. Cotton: $443.9 million (#4)
- #10. Beef and veal: $374.5 million (#7)

The undisputed growing epicenter of the United States, California’s $50 billion agricultural sector includes more than 400 commodities. According to the California Department of Food and Agriculture, the state provides one-third of the country’s vegetables and two-thirds of its fruits and nuts

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Colorado

- 2019 top agricultural exports:
- #1. Beef and veal: $443.1 million (#5 among all states)
- #2. Other plant products: $349.3 million (#15)
- #3. Wheat: $253.0 million (#8)
- #4. Feeds and other feed grains: $172.9 million (#13)
- #5. Dairy products: $131.6 million (#13)
- #6. Other livestock products: $101.2 million (#11)
- #7. Grain products, processed: $89.3 million (#16)
- #8. Corn: $88.1 million (#15)
- #9. Vegetables, processed: $59.0 million (#13)
- #10. Pork: $58.0 million (#15)

Colorado’s massive and powerful cattle and ranching industry—which now includes huge herds of American bison—is at war with alternative meat. As more plant-based and lab-grown offerings gobble up territory in American restaurants, grocery stores, and even drive-throughs, the industry is lobbying hard for legislation that would create new labeling standards. The new rules would force marketers to prominently identify beef imported from another country or grown in a lab. It would also forbid marketers from labeling vegetarian or vegan offerings as “meat.”

 

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Connecticut

- 2019 top agricultural exports:
- #1. Other plant products: $241.1 million (#22 among all states)
- #2. Other livestock products: $19.0 million (#43)
- #3. Dairy products: $11.9 million (#34)
- #4. Other poultry products: $5.3 million (#40)
- #5. Beef and veal: $1.4 million (#44)
- #6. Feeds and other feed grains: $0.7 million (#47)
- #7. Grain products, processed: $0.3 million (#47)
- #8. Pork: $0.2 million (#43)
- #9. Hides and skins: $0.1 million (#45)
- #10. Broiler meat: $0.0 million (#31)

Connecticut’s major export is “other plant products,” but those products are much more colorful than that bland title implies—literally. According to Farm Flavor, greenhouse and nursery production dominates state agriculture so thoroughly that the industry has a higher market value than all other agricultural products in the state combined.

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Delaware

- 2019 top agricultural exports:
- #1. Broiler meat: $107.2 million (#7 among all states)
- #2. Other plant products: $55.2 million (#46)
- #3. Soybeans: $31.2 million (#26)
- #4. Corn: $14.9 million (#30)
- #5. Feeds and other feed grains: $14.2 million (#39)
- #6. Wheat: $11.8 million (#31)
- #7. Soybean meal: $7.3 million (#26)
- #8. Grain products, processed: $6.6 million (#39)
- #9. Vegetable oils: $4.3 million (#29)
- #10. Other poultry products: $3.2 million (#43)

Nearly three out of four dollars of Delaware’s cash farm income comes from meat chickens—both Tyson and Perdue have operations there, according to the Delmarva Poultry Industry. Delaware-produced broiler chickens are big, 7.2 pounds compared to the national average of 6.2. Most of the grain grown in the state is used for chicken feed.

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Florida

- 2019 top agricultural exports:
- #1. Other plant products: $1.8 billion (#2 among all states)
- #2. Fruits, fresh: $373.0 million (#3)
- #3. Fruits, processed: $323.4 million (#3)
- #4. Vegetables, processed: $295.5 million (#4)
- #5. Vegetables, fresh: $176.1 million (#4)
- #6. Other livestock products: $109.3 million (#10)
- #7. Other oilseeds and products: $102.6 million (#5)
- #8. Dairy products: $75.0 million (#20)
- #9. Beef and veal: $58.0 million (#27)
- #10. Cotton: $39.5 million (#16)

In 2017, 47,000 farms and ranches were sprawled across 9.45 million acres of Florida land, according to the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. Florida is responsible for more than half of the value of oranges and grapefruits in the entire United States. In terms of value, Florida also produces more cucumbers, squash, fresh market tomatoes, fresh market snap beans, and sugarcane.

 

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Georgia

- 2019 top agricultural exports:
- #1. Cotton: $695.0 million (#2 among all states)
- #2. Other oilseeds and products: $487.4 million (#2)
- #3. Broiler meat: $459.7 million (#1)
- #4. Other plant products: $280.7 million (#19)
- #5. Tree nuts: $134.2 million (#3)
- #6. Other poultry products: $97.0 million (#7)
- #7. Vegetables, processed: $92.3 million (#12)
- #8. Fruits, fresh: $64.1 million (#6)
- #9. Other livestock products: $59.7 million (#17)
- #10. Fruits, processed: $55.6 million (#6)

Agriculture (which is the oldest and largest industry in the state), forestry and related fields employ one in seven Georgians, according to the Georgia Farm Bureau. Year after year, the state produces more spring onions, blueberries, pecans, broiler chickens, and peanuts than any other state. In all, more than 42,000 farms are spread across nearly 10 million acres of Georgia land.

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Hawaii

- 2019 top agricultural exports:
- #1. Other plant products: $213.3 million (#26 among all states)
- #2. Other livestock products: $49.2 million (#23)
- #3. Tree nuts: $47.8 million (#7)
- #4. Beef and veal: $5.2 million (#42)
- #5. Other poultry products: $1.6 million (#48)
- #6. Fruits, fresh: $1.5 million (#20)
- #7. Fruits, processed: $1.3 million (#20)
- #8. Hides and skins: $0.5 million (#42)
- #9. Dairy products: $0.1 million (#49)
- #10. Pork: $0.1 million (#50)

Sugar and pineapples were long the workhorses of Hawaii’s agricultural sector, but both industries are now in rapid decline. In fact, the last sugar grower in the state closed in 2016 after nearly 150 years in operation, according to the Washington Post. Tens of thousands of acres of land that once grew pineapples now sit fallow, too, as the Pacific island chain moves toward an economy that is overwhelmingly dominated by tourism.

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Idaho

- 2019 top agricultural exports:
- #1. Other plant products: $501.4 million (#10 among all states)
- #2. Dairy products: $417.5 million (#3)
- #3. Wheat: $348.2 million (#5)
- #4. Vegetables, processed: $288.7 million (#5)
- #5. Beef and veal: $212.1 million (#11)
- #6. Vegetables, fresh: $172.1 million (#5)
- #7. Feeds and other feed grains: $117.8 million (#17)
- #8. Grain products, processed: $75.0 million (#17)
- #9. Other livestock products: $59.7 million (#18)
- #10. Hides and skins: $20.8 million (#14)

Although the state boasts seven industries with nine-figure export numbers, Idaho is famous worldwide for its potatoes—and for good reason. One out of three potatoes grown in the United States comes from Idaho soil and thanks to local processing centers, most of the country’s French fries are not only grown from Idaho potatoes, but are also processed in the state. 

 

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Illinois

- 2019 top agricultural exports:
- #1. Soybeans: $2.9 billion (#1 among all states)
- #2. Corn: $1.2 billion (#2)
- #3. Feeds and other feed grains: $1.1 billion (#2)
- #4. Soybean meal: $691.9 million (#1)
- #5. Grain products, processed: $445.7 million (#2)
- #6. Vegetable oils: $407.9 million (#1)
- #7. Pork: $387.8 million (#5)
- #8. Other plant products: $336.5 million (#16)
- #9. Wheat: $128.2 million (#13)
- #10. Beef and veal: $99.9 million (#18)

Illinois is home to some of the most fertile land on Earth, with almost 90% of the state comprised of prime loess soil created by glaciers. There are 72,000 farms in the state, and more than 10 million of the state’s 26.6 million acres of farmland are dedicated to growing soybeans.

 

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Indiana

- 2019 top agricultural exports:
- #1. Soybeans: $1.5 billion (#4 among all states)
- #2. Corn: $533.5 million (#5)
- #3. Feeds and other feed grains: $498.6 million (#5)
- #4. Pork: $391.2 million (#4)
- #5. Soybean meal: $355.8 million (#4)
- #6. Other plant products: $215.0 million (#25)
- #7. Vegetable oils: $209.7 million (#4)
- #8. Grain products, processed: $203.3 million (#6)
- #9. Other poultry products: $158.7 million (#3)
- #10. Other livestock products: $128.9 million (#5)

More than 80% of the land in Indiana is claimed by farms and forests, according to the state Department of Agriculture. Indiana is home to 4.2 million hogs, 20.5 million turkeys, and more than 56,000 farms, 96% of which are family-owned or operated.

 

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Iowa

- 2019 top agricultural exports:
- #1. Pork: $2.5 billion (#1 among all states)
- #2. Soybeans: $2.4 billion (#2)
- #3. Corn: $1.3 billion (#1)
- #4. Feeds and other feed grains: $1.2 billion (#1)
- #5. Soybean meal: $573.3 million (#2)
- #6. Grain products, processed: $495.2 million (#1)
- #7. Beef and veal: $480.5 million (#4)
- #8. Vegetable oils: $337.9 million (#2)
- #9. Other poultry products: $184.8 million (#1)
- #10. Dairy products: $149.7 million (#11)

Long known for its endless expanses of cornfields, Iowa exports more corn than any state in America—but its biggest export is pork. In fact, one-third of America’s hogs are raised there. The state is the top producer nationwide of corn, pork, biodiesel, ethanol and eggs. Though it produces more eggs than any other state, Iowa is such a farming powerhouse that eggs don’t even rank among its top 10 exports.

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Kansas

- 2019 top agricultural exports:
- #1. Beef and veal: $1.0 billion (#3 among all states)
- #2. Wheat: $955.0 million (#2)
- #3. Soybeans: $853.6 million (#10)
- #4. Feeds and other feed grains: $480.8 million (#6)
- #5. Corn: $382.5 million (#6)
- #6. Grain products, processed: $268.8 million (#5)
- #7. Soybean meal: $200.8 million (#10)
- #8. Pork: $173.4 million (#11)
- #9. Vegetable oils: $119.5 million (#10)
- #10. Cotton: $118.1 million (#14)

Kansas produces one-fifth of all the wheat grown in the whole of America, making it the top wheat producer in the country, and also ranks first in terms of its flour milling capacity. The state’s dairy industry is emerging as one of the biggest in America, but that’s not reflected in its exports—most of the dairy produced in Kansas remains in the state.

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Kentucky

- 2019 top agricultural exports:
- #1. Other livestock products: $519.2 million (#1 among all states)
- #2. Soybeans: $425.8 million (#13)
- #3. Tobacco: $203.6 million (#2)
- #4. Feeds and other feed grains: $144.3 million (#15)
- #5. Corn: $122.0 million (#14)
- #6. Other plant products: $107.2 million (#37)
- #7. Broiler meat: $106.1 million (#8)
- #8. Soybean meal: $100.2 million (#13)
- #9. Wheat: $85.9 million (#16)
- #10. Beef and veal: $84.6 million (#21)

About half of Kentucky’s 25.4 million acres are dedicated to agriculture, and its farms are much more likely to be small: The average Kentucky farm is less than 40% of the size of national average. Kentucky is top-ranked in “other livestock products,” which might have to do with the fact that its equine industry—horses, ponies, mules, and donkeys—contributes billions to the state economy.

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Louisiana

- 2019 top agricultural exports:
- #1. Other plant products: $446.2 million (#11 among all states)
- #2. Rice: $224.3 million (#3)
- #3. Soybeans: $210.2 million (#18)
- #4. Cotton: $153.7 million (#12)
- #5. Other livestock products: $141.3 million (#4)
- #6. Broiler meat: $52.2 million (#17)
- #7. Corn: $49.6 million (#22)
- #8. Soybean meal: $49.5 million (#18)
- #9. Feeds and other feed grains: $49.1 million (#28)
- #10. Grain products, processed: $38.1 million (#25)

The 27,400 farms operating in Louisiana consume 8 million acres across the state, according to the USDA. The state is home to 800,000 heads of cattle and Louisiana produces a combined 152 million pounds of milk a year.

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Maine

- 2019 top agricultural exports:
- #1. Other plant products: $112.1 million (#36 among all states)
- #2. Other livestock products: $43.9 million (#27)
- #3. Vegetables, processed: $38.5 million (#18)
- #4. Vegetables, fresh: $22.9 million (#18)
- #5. Dairy products: $18.0 million (#32)
- #6. Other poultry products: $10.0 million (#33)
- #7. Fruits, fresh: $5.8 million (#19)
- #8. Fruits, processed: $5.0 million (#19)
- #9. Feeds and other feed grains: $2.2 million (#44)
- #10. Beef and veal: $2.1 million (#43)

Maine is suffering a farming crisis, according to the Bangor Daily News. Although the state is working to bring young farmers back to the land, Maine lost 573 farms between 2012–17, as well as 10% of its farmland during the same time period. Also during that five-year stretch, farm income declined by an average of nearly 16% per farm.

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Maryland

- 2019 top agricultural exports:
- #1. Other plant products: $210.2 million (#27 among all states)
- #2. Broiler meat: $101.5 million (#10)
- #3. Soybeans: $99.8 million (#21)
- #4. Other livestock products: $49.8 million (#22)
- #5. Wheat: $41.7 million (#21)
- #6. Feeds and other feed grains: $39.5 million (#33)
- #7. Corn: $38.3 million (#23)
- #8. Soybean meal: $23.5 million (#21)
- #9. Dairy products: $22.4 million (#29)
- #10. Grain products, processed: $19.1 million (#30)

Although it’s only the state’s #4 export, Maryland’s biggest agricultural product in terms of production is corn, which accounted for more than $216.37 million in 2018, according to the USDA. Coming in a close second at $206.71 million was the state’s soybean crop.

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Massachusetts

- 2019 top agricultural exports:
- #1. Other plant products: $155.1 million (#30 among all states)
- #2. Other livestock products: $22.0 million (#39)
- #3. Fruits, fresh: $13.1 million (#15)
- #4. Fruits, processed: $11.3 million (#15)
- #5. Dairy products: $5.4 million (#39)
- #6. Other poultry products: $2.4 million (#46)
- #7. Beef and veal: $1.3 million (#45)
- #8. Feeds and other feed grains: $0.9 million (#46)
- #9. Pork: $0.5 million (#37)
- #10. Grain products, processed: $0.4 million (#46)

A state known for hyper-small farms, Massachusetts has nearly a half-million acres dedicated to agriculture, but the average farm consists of just 68 acres and produces only $65,624 worth of products a year. The greenhouse and nursery sector dominates the state’s agricultural economy, with vegetables not far behind, according to Mass.gov.

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Michigan

- 2019 top agricultural exports:
- #1. Other plant products: $704.6 million (#6 among all states)
- #2. Soybeans: $421.3 million (#14)
- #3. Dairy products: $287.2 million (#6)
- #4. Feeds and other feed grains: $152.6 million (#14)
- #5. Corn: $149.6 million (#13)
- #6. Vegetables, processed: $127.7 million (#7)
- #7. Wheat: $123.9 million (#14)
- #8. Pork: $104.0 million (#12)
- #9. Soybean meal: $99.1 million (#14)
- #10. Fruits, fresh: $80.1 million (#5)

Michigan produces more than 300 commodities as part of its $104.7 billion agriculture economy, according to the state Department of Agriculture and Rural Development. None of those commodities, however, are more significant than livestock and field crops, which add $5.13 billion and $5.12 billion, respectively to the economy. About 805,000 Michiganders—17% of the state’s workforce—work in agriculture.

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Minnesota

- 2019 top agricultural exports:
- #1. Soybeans: $1.6 billion (#3 among all states)
- #2. Pork: $859.7 million (#2)
- #3. Corn: $675.5 million (#4)
- #4. Feeds and other feed grains: $641.9 million (#4)
- #5. Other plant products: $416.4 million (#13)
- #6. Soybean meal: $372.5 million (#3)
- #7. Wheat: $285.5 million (#7)
- #8. Grain products, processed: $279.3 million (#4)
- #9. Dairy products: $277.6 million (#8)
- #10. Beef and veal: $243.9 million (#9)

If you’re one of the millions of Americans who ate Turkey this Thanksgiving, there’s a high chance it was raised in Minnesota—no state produces more, according to AgWeek. About 48 million of the 240 million turkeys produced annually come from the Land of 10,000 Lakes. Most turkeys produced in the United States do not, however, wind up on American dinner tables—more than 60% are exported to Mexico.

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Mississippi

- 2019 top agricultural exports:
- #1. Soybeans: $478.4 million (#12 among all states)
- #2. Cotton: $469.6 million (#3)
- #3. Broiler meat: $268.4 million (#5)
- #4. Other livestock products: $127.5 million (#6)
- #5. Soybean meal: $112.5 million (#12)
- #6. Rice: $76.0 million (#6)
- #7. Vegetable oils: $67.5 million (#12)
- #8. Other plant products: $65.9 million (#42)
- #9. Feeds and other feed grains: $57.4 million (#26)
- #10. Corn: $57.1 million (#20)

Although soybeans are now Mississippi’s biggest export, the state’s most significant product in terms of production is poultry and eggs, according to the Mississippi Department of Agriculture and Commerce. The 747 million broiler chickens and 1.41 billion eggs the state produced in 2018 brought in nearly $3 billion.

 

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Missouri

- 2019 top agricultural exports:
- #1. Soybeans: $1.2 billion (#7 among all states)
- #2. Pork: $292.5 million (#7)
- #3. Cotton: $291.8 million (#7)
- #4. Soybean meal: $272.6 million (#7)
- #5. Feeds and other feed grains: $269.2 million (#9)
- #6. Corn: $263.2 million (#9)
- #7. Beef and veal: $228.4 million (#10)
- #8. Other plant products: $200.6 million (#28)
- #9. Vegetable oils: $160.7 million (#8)
- #10. Grain products, processed: $124.4 million (#10)

Nearly 100,000 farms cover two-thirds of the Show Me State’s total land acreage, according to the Missouri Department of Agriculture. Only Texas has more farms than the 95,320 that exists in Missouri, and the state ranks among the top 10 in the country in the production of cows, rice, goats, cotton, hay, turkeys, hogs, soybeans, horses and ponies, corn, and broiler chickens.

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Montana

- 2019 top agricultural exports:
- #1. Wheat: $689.9 million (#3 among all states)
- #2. Beef and veal: $165.6 million (#13)
- #3. Other plant products: $105.0 million (#39)
- #4. Feeds and other feed grains: $98.5 million (#19)
- #5. Grain products, processed: $94.8 million (#13)
- #6. Vegetables, processed: $53.2 million (#14)
- #7. Other oilseeds and products: $47.5 million (#8)
- #8. Other livestock products: $45.7 million (#25)
- #9. Vegetables, fresh: $31.7 million (#14)
- #10. Pork: $22.0 million (#20)

Year after year, agriculture is the leading industry in Montana by far, contributing more to the state economy than even the mighty energy, mining, and travel industries. The annual value of crop production in Montana is more than $1.8 billion, according to Montana.gov.

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Nebraska

- 2019 top agricultural exports:
- #1. Soybeans: $1.4 billion (#5 among all states)
- #2. Beef and veal: $1.3 billion (#1)
- #3. Corn: $958.7 million (#3)
- #4. Feeds and other feed grains: $919.1 million (#3)
- #5. Grain products, processed: $379.1 million (#3)
- #6. Soybean meal: $319.3 million (#5)
- #7. Pork: $275.4 million (#8)
- #8. Vegetable oils: $188.9 million (#5)
- #9. Other plant products: $159.3 million (#29)
- #10. Wheat: $150.5 million (#12)

Like Montana, Nebraska’s #1 industry is agriculture, and the industry is dominated by beef production, according to the Nebraska Beef Council. A state where there are literally more cows than people, Nebraska has a population of 1.8 million but finishes and markets 5 million head of cattle per year. America’s top three cow counties are all located in Nebraska.

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Nevada

- 2019 top agricultural exports:
- #1. Beef and veal: $39.1 million (#32 among all states)
- #2. Other plant products: $38.5 million (#48)
- #3. Feeds and other feed grains: $21.0 million (#38)
- #4. Dairy products: $20.6 million (#31)
- #5. Other livestock products: $11.3 million (#45)
- #6. Grain products, processed: $8.4 million (#38)
- #7. Hides and skins: $3.8 million (#34)
- #8. Other poultry products: $1.7 million (#47)
- #9. Pork: $0.2 million (#48)

Nevada has comparatively few ranches, but they’re big—the average ranch is 3,500 acres, giving Nevada claim to the title as the state with the third-largest ranches in America. Cattle and calves drive the state’s agriculture industry, but alfalfa hay is its top cash crop, according to the Nevada Department of Agriculture.

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New Hampshire

- 2019 top agricultural exports:
- #1. Other plant products: $56.8 million (#45 among all states)
- #2. Dairy products: $6.6 million (#37)
- #3. Other poultry products: $6.0 million (#38)
- #4. Other livestock products: $3.8 million (#48)
- #5. Beef and veal: $1.1 million (#47)
- #6. Feeds and other feed grains: $0.5 million (#48)
- #7. Pork: $0.3 million (#40)
- #8. Grain products, processed: $0.2 million (#48)
- #9. Hides and skins: $0.1 million (#48)

Agriculture is booming in New Hampshire, according to the USDA, with farming now serving as a major component of the state’s economy. Thanks to New Hampshire’s notorious winters, many of its growers rely on greenhouses and nurseries to produce the state’s #1 agricultural export.

 

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New Jersey

- 2019 top agricultural exports:
- #1. Other plant products: $438.0 million (#12 among all states)
- #2. Fruits, fresh: $27.8 million (#12)
- #3. Fruits, processed: $24.1 million (#12)
- #4. Vegetables, processed: $21.9 million (#20)
- #5. Other livestock products: $19.8 million (#41)
- #6. Soybeans: $17.0 million (#28)
- #7. Vegetables, fresh: $13.0 million (#20)
- #8. Other poultry products: $7.5 million (#36)
- #9. Feeds and other feed grains: $6.3 million (#42)
- #10. Corn: $5.1 million (#36)

New Jersey is known as the Garden State, and agriculture is the #3 biggest industry in the state, behind only pharmaceuticals and tourism—New Jersey’s 9,000 farms generate 10-figure cash receipts. Although it’s famous for corn, tomatoes, and blueberries, New Jersey’s biggest ag industry is greenhouses, nurseries, and sod, according to the state Department of Agriculture.

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New Mexico

- 2019 top agricultural exports:
- #1. Dairy products: $201.9 million (#9 among all states)
- #2. Tree nuts: $161.4 million (#2)
- #3. Beef and veal: $121.4 million (#14)
- #4. Other plant products: $114.7 million (#35)
- #5. Vegetables, processed: $38.1 million (#19)
- #6. Cotton: $37.7 million (#17)
- #7. Vegetables, fresh: $22.7 million (#19)
- #8. Feeds and other feed grains: $21.2 million (#37)
- #9. Other livestock products: $19.7 million (#42)
- #10. Hides and skins: $11.8 million (#19)

New Mexico’s legendary cattle drives date back to the age of the cattle barons and the Chisolm Trail. Today, the beef and dairy industries continue to thrive with 1.5 million head of cattle grazing in the state, according to the state Department of Agriculture. In total, New Mexico’s agriculture industry is approaching $3 billion in cash receipts.

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New York

- 2019 top agricultural exports:
- #1. Other plant products: $522.7 million (#8 among all states)
- #2. Dairy products: $416.5 million (#4)
- #3. Feeds and other feed grains: $70.5 million (#23)
- #4. Soybeans: $63.9 million (#23)
- #5. Fruits, fresh: $61.4 million (#7)
- #6. Other livestock products: $60.6 million (#16)
- #7. Corn: $55.7 million (#21)
- #8. Fruits, processed: $53.2 million (#7)
- #9. Vegetables, processed: $41.3 million (#16)
- #10. Beef and veal: $33.8 million (#34)

About 20% of New York’s land is farmland—that’s about 7 million acres, according to the state Department of Agriculture and Markets. Nearly 700 farmers markets dot New York, which is America’s #4 dairy state. The Empire State grows more than 40 varieties of apples, more than any other state in America.

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North Carolina

- 2019 top agricultural exports:
- #1. Pork: $686.3 million (#3 among all states)
- #2. Other plant products: $502.0 million (#9)
- #3. Broiler meat: $411.1 million (#3)
- #4. Tobacco: $333.1 million (#1)
- #5. Cotton: $269.1 million (#8)
- #6. Soybeans: $249.2 million (#17)
- #7. Other poultry products: $184.5 million (#2)
- #8. Vegetables, processed: $100.3 million (#9)
- #9. Other oilseeds and products: $82.0 million (#7)
- #10. Feeds and other feed grains: $74.5 million (#21)

North Carolina’s old and historic agriculture sector dominates the state’s economy, according to the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture. About 1,600 of the Tarheel State’s 52,000 farms are “century farms.” That means they’ve been in continuous family ownership for more than 100 years.

 

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North Dakota

- 2019 top agricultural exports:
- #1. Wheat: $1.1 billion (#1 among all states)
- #2. Soybeans: $906.1 million (#8)
- #3. Other oilseeds and products: $563.2 million (#1)
- #4. Feeds and other feed grains: $225.0 million (#11)
- #5. Soybean meal: $213.2 million (#8)
- #6. Corn: $209.4 million (#11)
- #7. Grain products, processed: $176.9 million (#7)
- #8. Vegetable oils: $174.3 million (#6)
- #9. Other plant products: $132.7 million (#32)
- #10. Vegetables, processed: $130.8 million (#6)

Although soybeans have the highest market value and the #2 export value among agricultural products in North Dakota, the state boasts one of the most diverse farming economies in the country, according to the USDA. In 2017, it produced more edible dry beans than any other state, as well as more spring wheat, Durum wheat, honey, flaxseed, canola, dry edible peas, navy beans, and pinto beans. An astonishing 89% of North Dakota land is occupied by farms.

 

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Ohio

- 2019 top agricultural exports:
- #1. Soybeans: $1.2 billion (#6 among all states)
- #2. Other plant products: $399.4 million (#14)
- #3. Corn: $300.7 million (#8)
- #4. Feeds and other feed grains: $293.5 million (#8)
- #5. Soybean meal: $280.1 million (#6)
- #6. Pork: $213.1 million (#10)
- #7. Vegetable oils: $165.1 million (#7)
- #8. Dairy products: $147.6 million (#12)
- #9. Grain products, processed: $123.7 million (#11)
- #10. Other poultry products: $110.2 million (#6)

Agriculture is the biggest contributor to the Ohio economy—one out of eight of the state’s residents work in farming. Half of the state’s 74,500 farms have livestock, according to the Ohio Livestock Coalition, and the state is home to 2,200 dairy farms.

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Oklahoma

- 2019 top agricultural exports:
- #1. Beef and veal: $400.1 million (#6 among all states)
- #2. Wheat: $309.7 million (#6)
- #3. Pork: $308.1 million (#6)
- #4. Cotton: $216.8 million (#10)
- #5. Other plant products: $136.1 million (#31)
- #6. Broiler meat: $83.1 million (#13)
- #7. Soybeans: $66.0 million (#22)
- #8. Feeds and other feed grains: $51.0 million (#27)
- #9. Hides and skins: $50.4 million (#6)
- #10. Grain products, processed: $45.8 million (#21)

Just three states have more farms than the 86,000 that cover 35.1 million acres of land in Oklahoma, according to the state Foundation for Agriculture. With more than 2.07 million head of cattle, it’s the #2 beef cow state in the country behind only Nebraska. Its 5.5 million head of cattle and calves make it the #4 producer in that category.

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Oregon

- 2019 top agricultural exports:
- #1. Other plant products: $1.2 billion (#3 among all states)
- #2. Wheat: $193.0 million (#11)
- #3. Vegetables, processed: $98.7 million (#10)
- #4. Beef and veal: $90.1 million (#20)
- #5. Tree nuts: $82.6 million (#4)
- #6. Fruits, fresh: $82.4 million (#4)
- #7. Dairy products: $80.1 million (#18)
- #8. Fruits, processed: $71.4 million (#4)
- #9. Feeds and other feed grains: $58.9 million (#25)
- #10. Vegetables, fresh: $58.8 million (#10)

According to the Oregon Farm Bureau, Oregon is first in the nation in several unique categories, including Christmas trees, black raspberries, hazelnuts, sugar beets, crimson clover, azaleas, boysenberries, and peppermint. A state known for specialty crops, Oregon produces more than 220 recognized commodities.

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Pennsylvania

- 2019 top agricultural exports:
- #1. Other plant products: $783.2 million (#5 among all states)
- #2. Dairy products: $283.2 million (#7)
- #3. Soybeans: $130.3 million (#19)
- #4. Pork: $103.8 million (#13)
- #5. Feeds and other feed grains: $101.3 million (#18)
- #6. Other poultry products: $89.2 million (#9)
- #7. Other livestock products: $84.0 million (#12)
- #8. Corn: $80.8 million (#16)
- #9. Beef and veal: $75.3 million (#23)
- #10. Broiler meat: $62.4 million (#15)

Pennsylvania’s massive dairy industry is broken down into three segments: liquid milk, ice cream and frozen desserts, and butter and cheese. Its cattle also serve as breeding stock for herds around the world, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture.

 

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Rhode Island

- 2019 top agricultural exports:
- #1. Other plant products: $25.1 million (#49 among all states)
- #2. Other livestock products: $5.4 million (#46)
- #3. Other poultry products: $1.1 million (#49)
- #4. Dairy products: $0.3 million (#48)
- #5. Beef and veal: $0.2 million (#50)
- #6. Pork: $0.1 million (#49)
- #7. Feeds and other feed grains: $0.1 million (#49)

Thanks to a burgeoning eat-local movement, tiny Rhode Island is witnessing a boom in young, beginning farmers, according to NPR. Real estate prices are rising quickly, however, making land unaffordable for many growers. In response, the state developed a program where the government offers farmers a special agriculture rate on purchased land.

 

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South Carolina

- 2019 top agricultural exports:
- #1. Other plant products: $225.4 million (#24 among all states)
- #2. Cotton: $141.5 million (#13)
- #3. Broiler meat: $101.8 million (#9)
- #4. Soybeans: $44.9 million (#25)
- #5. Other oilseeds and products: $44.6 million (#9)
- #6. Feeds and other feed grains: $27.7 million (#36)
- #7. Other livestock products: $26.9 million (#36)
- #8. Corn: $26.7 million (#26)
- #9. Tobacco: $25.6 million (#7)
- #10. Fruits, fresh: $24.3 million (#13)

South Carolina boasts one of America’s oldest agriculture industries—rice was first brought there from Madagascar in 1685. Today, the state is home to 25,000 farms spread across nearly 5 million acres of land, according to the state Department of Agriculture. Its biggest commodities are broilers, turkey, greenhouses and nurseries, cotton, and corn.

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South Dakota

- 2019 top agricultural exports:
- #1. Soybeans: $891.3 million (#9 among all states)
- #2. Feeds and other feed grains: $350.1 million (#7)
- #3. Corn: $343.7 million (#7)
- #4. Beef and veal: $333.4 million (#8)
- #5. Pork: $230.5 million (#9)
- #6. Wheat: $217.9 million (#9)
- #7. Soybean meal: $209.7 million (#9)
- #8. Grain products, processed: $157.6 million (#8)
- #9. Other oilseeds and products: $137.1 million (#3)
- #10. Vegetable oils: $135.4 million (#9)

At least 97% of the farms in South Dakota are family owned, according to the state Department of Agriculture, many of which are more than 100 years old. The state’s $35 billion agriculture industry is driven by 49,000 producers working more than 30,000 farms spread out across more than 19 million acres of cropland and about 22 million acres of pastureland.

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Tennessee

- 2019 top agricultural exports:
- #1. Soybeans: $329.5 million (#16 among all states)
- #2. Other plant products: $272.8 million (#20)
- #3. Cotton: $251.9 million (#9)
- #4. Feeds and other feed grains: $91.4 million (#20)
- #5. Soybean meal: $77.5 million (#16)
- #6. Corn: $76.1 million (#17)
- #7. Tobacco: $62.1 million (#3)
- #8. Beef and veal: $59.6 million (#26)
- #9. Wheat: $56.8 million (#18)
- #10. Broiler meat: $52.2 million (#16)

Soybeans take up more acreage than any other row crop in Tennessee. The crop is also top-ranked in the state in terms of cash receipts.

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Texas

- 2019 top agricultural exports:
- #1. Cotton: $2.1 billion (#1 among all states)
- #2. Beef and veal: $1.0 billion (#2)
- #3. Other plant products: $855.2 million (#4)
- #4. Dairy products: $386.2 million (#5)
- #5. Feeds and other feed grains: $255.4 million (#10)
- #6. Broiler meat: $246.8 million (#6)
- #7. Wheat: $213.9 million (#10)
- #8. Other livestock products: $211.6 million (#3)
- #9. Corn: $166.2 million (#12)
- #10. Grain products, processed: $128.9 million (#9)

With close to 250,000 farms and ranches, no other state comes close to challenging Texas’ title of the state with the most farms in America. Texas’ famous and massive cattle industry accounts for more than half the state’s agriculture economy.

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Utah

- 2019 top agricultural exports:
- #1. Other plant products: $125.4 million (#34 among all states)
- #2. Dairy products: $60.8 million (#21)
- #3. Beef and veal: $60.2 million (#25)
- #4. Pork: $52.5 million (#16)
- #5. Other livestock products: $42.9 million (#28)
- #6. Feeds and other feed grains: $40.3 million (#32)
- #7. Wheat: $21.6 million (#27)
- #8. Other poultry products: $19.0 million (#22)
- #9. Grain products, processed: $17.8 million (#33)
- #10. Hides and skins: $7.8 million (#27)

While Utah has a diverse agricultural sector, more than two-thirds of Utah’s farm receipts come from livestock, according to FarmFlavor. The state is top-ranked for apricots, tart and sweet cherries, and mink and sheep production.

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Vermont

- 2019 top agricultural exports:
- #1. Other plant products: $97.0 million (#40 among all states)
- #2. Dairy products: $75.3 million (#19)
- #3. Beef and veal: $8.3 million (#41)
- #4. Other livestock products: $5.1 million (#47)
- #5. Other poultry products: $2.8 million (#44)
- #6. Feeds and other feed grains: $2.3 million (#43)
- #7. Grain products, processed: $0.9 million (#43)
- #8. Hides and skins: $0.8 million (#41)
- #9. Pork: $0.3 million (#39)

The vast majority of Vermont’s farms grow less than $50,000 worth of agricultural products a year, according to the USDA. Livestock accounts for the biggest piece of the pie by far, with cow’s milk, cattle and calves, and poultry and eggs serving as the state’s top moneymakers.

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Virginia

- 2019 top agricultural exports:
- #1. Other plant products: $292.1 million (#18 among all states)
- #2. Other livestock products: $121.2 million (#8)
- #3. Soybeans: $100.1 million (#20)
- #4. Broiler meat: $96.6 million (#11)
- #5. Cotton: $64.7 million (#15)
- #6. Other poultry products: $56.7 million (#14)
- #7. Tobacco: $52.0 million (#4)
- #8. Dairy products: $42.4 million (#24)
- #9. Feeds and other feed grains: $42.2 million (#31)
- #10. Beef and veal: $42.1 million (#31)

Virginia’s agriculture industry is the state’s most significant private industry by far—it has no close second that even begins to pose a challenge. According to Virginia.gov, every agriculture job supports 1.7 non-ag jobs in Virginia. In total, the agriculture and forestry industries account for more than 300,000 jobs.

 

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Washington

- 2019 top agricultural exports:
- #1. Other plant products: $673.5 million (#7 among all states)
- #2. Fruits, fresh: $672.2 million (#2)
- #3. Fruits, processed: $582.8 million (#2)
- #4. Wheat: $551.6 million (#4)
- #5. Vegetables, processed: $306.6 million (#3)
- #6. Dairy products: $187.0 million (#10)
- #7. Vegetables, fresh: $182.7 million (#3)
- #8. Other livestock products: $123.7 million (#7)
- #9. Beef and veal: $104.4 million (#17)
- #10. Grain products, processed: $68.9 million (#19)

Washington state boasts a diverse agricultural economy that produces more than 300 different crops, according to the Washington State Department of Agriculture, but one stands out above all the others. The apple industry is the king of Washington agriculture, and brings almost $2 billion to the state annually.

 

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West Virginia

- 2019 top agricultural exports:
- #1. Other plant products: $61.1 million (#43 among all states)
- #2. Other livestock products: $24.5 million (#38)
- #3. Beef and veal: $19.6 million (#38)
- #4. Other poultry products: $18.6 million (#25)
- #5. Broiler meat: $15.9 million (#21)
- #6. Feeds and other feed grains: $7.7 million (#41)
- #7. Corn: $3.1 million (#40)
- #8. Grain products, processed: $3.1 million (#41)
- #9. Dairy products: $2.4 million (#44)
- #10. Hides and skins: $1.9 million (#38)

West Virginia ranks high in the production of peaches, turkey, trout, and apples, according to Beef2Live. The #1 crop is hay, which is grown mostly to feed the state’s livestock.

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Wisconsin

- 2019 top agricultural exports:
- #1. Dairy products: $834.5 million (#2 among all states)
- #2. Soybeans: $399.5 million (#15)
- #3. Other plant products: $298.1 million (#17)
- #4. Feeds and other feed grains: $218.0 million (#12)
- #5. Corn: $214.9 million (#10)
- #6. Beef and veal: $203.1 million (#12)
- #7. Vegetables, processed: $111.1 million (#8)
- #8. Soybean meal: $94.0 million (#15)
- #9. Grain products, processed: $90.0 million (#14)
- #10. Vegetables, fresh: $66.2 million (#8)

Famous worldwide for its dairy and cheese, Wisconsin’s agriculture industry is surprisingly diverse, according to the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade, and Consumer Protection. It ranks first in the nation in terms of corn for silage, milk goats, dry whey for humans, mink pelts, ginseng, cranberries, snap beans for processing, and, of course, cheese.

 

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Wyoming

- 2019 top agricultural exports:
- #1. Beef and veal: $108.5 million (#16 among all states)
- #2. Other plant products: $49.6 million (#47)
- #3. Other livestock products: $46.8 million (#24)
- #4. Feeds and other feed grains: $44.0 million (#30)
- #5. Pork: $20.6 million (#21)
- #6. Grain products, processed: $18.6 million (#32)
- #7. Wheat: $12.9 million (#30)
- #8. Hides and skins: $11.3 million (#20)
- #9. Corn: $5.7 million (#34)
- #10. Other poultry products: $4.0 million (#42)

The cattle industry dominates Wyoming’s agriculture economy, accounting for more than half of all cash receipts, according to the Wyoming Farm Bureau Federation. Because of the need to feed all that cattle, hay is the biggest crop in Wyoming by far.

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