Agriculture is Mississippi’s number one industry, employing approximately 17.4% of the state’s workforce either directly or indirectly. Agriculture in Mississippi is a 8.76 billion-dollar industry. There are approximately 34,700 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 – $3.52 Billion
- Approximately 710 million broilers were produced in 2023.
- 1,237 broiler farms.
- 1,406 million eggs produced in 2023.
- 234 farms with 100+ layers.
2. Soybeans – $1.56 Billion
- 2,150,000 acres harvested in 2023
- 122,550,000 bushels produced in 2023
- 3,087 farms
3. Forestry – $1.48 Billion
- 19,041,597 acres in 2023.
- 130,000 forest landowners.
4. Corn – $675.5 Million
- 770,000 acres harvested in 2023
- 140,140,000 bushels produced in 2023
- 1,427 farms
5. Cattle/Calves – $406 Million
- 860,000 head in 2023.
- 15,980 farms.
6. Cotton – $397 Million
- 395,000 acres harvested in 2023
- 850,000 bales produced in 2023
- 780 farms
7. Catfish – $252 Million
- 32,900 acres of production in 2023.
- 205 operations.
8. Hay – $180 Million
- 1.2 million tons produced in 2023.
- 600,000 acres harvested.
- 11,565 farms
9. Rice – $135 Million
- 8,791,000 hundredweight rice produced in 2023.
- 221 farms.
10. Horticultural Crops – $113 Million
- Horticulture crops include vegetables, melons, potatoes, fruits, tree nuts, berries, nursery, greenhouses, floriculture, sod and Christmas trees.
11. Sweet Potatoes – $92 Million
- 4.3 million hundredweight produced in 2023.
- 29,500 acres harvested.
- 172 farms.
12. Hogs – $86 Million
- 180,000 hogs and pigs.
- 437 farms.
13. Wheat – $36.2 Million
- 5,035,000 bushels produced in 2023.
- 95,000 acres harvested.
- 162 farms.
14. Peanuts – $20.2 Million
- 79.2 million pounds produced in 2023.
- 18,000 acres harvested.
- 113 farms.
15. Milk – $17 Million
- 6,000 milk cows in 2023.
- 55 Grade A dairy herds.
Mississippi Value of Production Estimates, December 2023.
Source: Mississippi State University, Division of Agriculture, Forestry and Veterinary Medicine;
Mississippi Farm Bureau Federation
