Virginia’s Top Commodities

Broilers – Broilers, or chickens raised for meat, top Virginia’s agricultural commodities list with $918 million in cash receipts. Broilers totaled 262 million in 2014.

Cattle and Calves – Out of Virginia’s more than 1.5 million cattle and calves, the state counted 637,000 beef cattle in 2014. This sector earned $714 million in cash receipts the same year.

Milk – In 2014, Virginia’s 93,000 dairy cows produced 1.78 billion pounds of milk, or more than 19 pounds per cow. Milk earned $478 million.

Turkeys – With 16.8 million turkeys raised for their meat in 2014, Virginia poultry farmers earned $326 million in cash receipts.

Greenhouse/Nursery – A multifaceted commodity consisting of floriculture, sod and more, greenhouses and nurseries brought Virginia $298 million in cash receipts in 2014.

Soybeans – Grown for food, feed, fuel and many industrial uses, soybeans earned Virginia $259 million in cash receipts in 2014 from more than 25 million bushels harvested by farmers.

Corn, Grain – The U.S. grows more than one-third of the world’s corn production. In 2014, cash receipts from Virginia’s crop totaled $219 million.

Livestock and Other Animals – Animals including horses, aquaculture and sheep brought cash receipts totaling $216 million to Virginia’s economy in 2014.

Hay – Grown to feed livestock in the winter or supplement their diets year round, hay earned $119 million in 2014. Virginia farmers harvested 2.67 million tons of hay.

Tobacco – Virginia tobacco fields produced more than 57 million pounds of the crop in 2014, 54 million pounds of which were flue-cured. Tobacco earned $117 million in cash receipts.