Kentucky’s Top 10 Ag Commodities

1. Broilers– Ranked No. 7 in the U.S. for broilers, Kentucky poultry generated $867 million in cash receipts for broiler sales in 2012.

2. Corn– The No. 2 commodity in Kentucky earned $829 million in 2012. Farmers produced more than 104 million bushels of corn in the state.

3. Horses/mules– Kentucky is home to 242,400 horses and mules. The equine industry in the state creates 40,665 jobs.

4. Soybeans– Soybeans brought $741 million to Kentucky’s economy in 2012, representing a more than $165 million increase from the previous year.

5. Cattle and calves– Kentucky is home to more than 1.1 million beef cattle and is the leading beef cattle state east of the Mississippi River.

6. Tobacco– Ranked No. 2 in the nation for production, Kentucky tobacco cash receipts totaled $385 million in 2012.

7. Dairy products– The No. 7 commodity in Kentucky brought in $220 million in 2012. The average dairy cow has an economic impact of $13,700 in a single year.

8. Wheat– Wheat generated $201 million in cash receipts in 2012. Kentucky farmers harvested wheat on 470,000 acres yielding 29 million bushels.

9. Hay- Farmers produced 4.9 million tons of hay in 2012, which brought $142 million in cash receipts to the state’s economy.

10. Chicken Eggs– Bringing in an impressive $116 million in 2012, chicken eggs ranked as the No. 10 commodity in Kentucky.