Agriculture is Mississippi’s number one industry, employing approximately 11.4% of the state’s workforce either directly or indirectly. Agriculture in Mississippi is a 9.04 billion-dollar industry. There are approximately 31,290 farms in the state covering 10.3 million acres. The average size farm is composed of 300 acres. Agriculture makes a significant contribution to all 82 counties. In celebration of the efforts of those who work so hard to feed and clothe us, we present this overview of Mississippi’s top 15 agricultural crops.
To view the Mississippi Agriculture Commodity Directory, a directory of commodity fact sheets (PDF), please click here.
1. Poultry / Eggs – $3.82 Billion
- Approximately 732 million broilers were produced in 2024
- 3003 broiler farms
- 1454 million eggs produced in 2024
- 234 farms with 100+ layers
2. Forestry – $1.48 Billion
- 19,008,846 acres in 2024
- 130,000 forest landowners
3. Soybeans – $1.28 Billion
- 2,270,000 acres harvested in 2024
- 127,120,000 bushels produced in 2024
- 2926 farms
4. Cotton – $496 Million
- 515,000 acres harvested in 2024
- 1,250,000 bales produced in 2024
- 788 farms
5. Cattle/Calves – $482 Million
- 810,000 head in 2024
- 13,631 farms
6. Corn – $374 Million
- 475,000 acres harvested in 2024
- 88,825,000 bushels produced in 2024
- 1495 farms
7. Catfish – $214 Million
- 29,900 acres of production in 2024
- 142 operations
8. Hay – $171 Million
- 1.2 million tons produced in 2024
- 580,000 acres harvested
- 9945 farms
9. Rice – $168 Million
- 11,700,000 hundredweight rice produced in 2024
- 188 farms
10. Horticultural Crops – $115 Million
Horticulture crops include vegetables, melons, potatoes, fruits, tree nuts, berries, nursery, greenhouses, floriculture, sod and Christmas trees.
11. Sweet Potatoes – $82 Million
- 3.8 million hundredweight produced in 2024
- 30,000 acres harvested
- 156 farms
12. Hogs – $80 Million
- 177,541 hogs and pigs
- 709 farms
13. Peanuts – $25 Million
- 95 million pounds produced in 2024
- 25,000 acres harvested
- 36 farms
14. Wheat – $19 Million
- 1,750,000 bushels produced in 2024
- 35,000 acres harvested
- 355 farms
15. Milk – $16 Million
- 6,000 milk cows in 2024
- 32 Grade A dairy herds
Mississippi Value of Production Estimates, December 2024.
Source: Mississippi State University, Division of Agriculture, Forestry and Veterinary Medicine;
Mississippi Farm Bureau Federation
