Looking for Insurance? VISIT AFBIC.COM Looking to become a member or renew? JOIN NOW AGRICULTURE FACTS AG FACTS Agriculture is Arkansas’ largest industry, adding around $16 billion to the state’s economy annually. The Natural State’s diverse landscape and climate produce a wide variety of Arkansas agricultural products. Arkansas is a major exporter of rice, soybeans, cotton, poultry and feed grains. There are 49,346 farms statewide and 97 percent of Arkansas’ farms are family-owned. A mere 16 percent of Arkansas’ farms account for a whopping 92 percent of production. Below you will find a long list of Arkansas agriculture fun facts. Arkansas’ Top Retailers, Producers and Processors Wal-Mart: the largest food retailer in the world. Tyson Foods: the largest poultry and meat processor in the U.S. Riceland Foods: the largest rice exporter in the U.S. Arkansas Landscape Agriculture and Forestry use more than 95 percent of Arkansas’ land resources. 14.5 million acres of farmland 6.2 million acres of crops 8.3 million acres of livestock and hay 18.8 million acres of forest Farming Facts - The Average Arkansas Farm Acres: 308 Farmer’s Age: 57 Value of Land and Buildings: $658,732 Value of Equipment: $90,822 Yearly farm expenses: $124,324 Yearly farm revenue: $160,270 Arkansas Agriculture Fun Facts Only 11.6-cents of every dollar you spend at the grocery store goes to a farmer. More than 30 cents of every dollar you spend will go to the processing, packaging, transporting, and energy costs of that product. In the next 50 years farmers around the world will have to feed more people than we did the previous 100 years. Farmers will have to become more productive to feed the growing world population. Today, with almost 7 billion people there is only 1.7 acres of agricultural land in the world per person. Each U.S. farmer already feeds more than 150 people up from 43 just 50 years ago. Genetically enhanced crops and commercial livestock operations significantly improve the efficiency and sustainability of agriculture production allowing farmers to produce more with fewer inputs. Food products face strict regulations from state and federal governments. A hamburger is subject to 41,000 state and federal regulations Organic agriculture provides an excellent market for producers to receive a premium for their production, which will cost more to produce. Farmers are among the best stewards of the land as they realize they must protect the land in order for it to remain productive. Arkansas is one of the few states where average per capita farm income exceeds non-farm per capita income. Commodities Aquaculture Around 11,000 acres are devoted to catfish production in Arkansas. The value of catfish production peaked at $78.1 million in 2007 with 166 farms. Beef Cattle Arkansas' cattle inventory exceeds 1.7 million head, with 28,292 farms in Arkansas producing cattle. Arkansas ranks 12th nationally in beef cows on farms. Cotton Arkansas ranks 3rd in production, with around 7 percent of the U.S. crop Arkansas has the 4th highest yield per acre behind only California, Arizona, and Missouri. Dairy Arkansas produces more than 17 million gallons of milk annually. Use of the U.S. milk supply: Cheese - 49 percent Fluid milk - 28 percent Butter - 7 percent Frozen Products - 7 percent Other - 9 percent Forestry Arkansas has 18,778,660 acres of forest land representing approximately 56 percent of the total land base: 58 percent of timberland is owned by private landowners. 7 percent of timberland is publicly owned. 25 percent of forestland is owned by the forestry industry Arkansas is the fifth-largest softwood lumber producing state. Horticulture Almost $50 million of horticulture products come from nursery and greenhouse products. More than 3 million pounds of tomatoes, the state's top vegetable crop, are produced annually. Peach production, Arkansas' largest fruit crop, annually tops 10 million pounds. Pork More than 1.8 million pigs are produced in Arkansas annually. The total value of Arkansas pork production exceeds $80 million per year. Poultry Arkansas is 2nd in the nation in broiler production, About 2,500 farms in Arkansas produce chickens. Rice Arkansas ranks 1st in the nation in rice production, producing close to 50 percent of the nation’s rice. More than 60 percent of the rice produced in Arkansas is exported. Soybeans Arkansas is the 10th largest soybean producing state Approximately 50 percent of Arkansas’s crop is exported. The remainder is processed into oil and meal. Wheat In Arkansas, wheat is a winter crop that is planted in the fall and harvested in the spring. It is the green fields you see in January. Arkansas produces soft red wheat, which is used in many confectionery products and for blending for bread products. EDUCATION Ag in the Classroom Ag Fact Booklets M*A*S*H Scholarships Ag Facts Links & Video Ag Youth Leadership Seminar FOLLOW THE CONVERSATION Get the latest agriculture news and member savings updates. Sign up for our free newsletter and follow us on social media. RESOURCES CAREERS American Farm Bureau Privacy Policy Tems of Use Legal Notice ©2021 Arkansas Farm Bureau. All Rights Reserverd.