Louisiana Agriculture

Agriculture is one of Louisiana’s most important industries, ranking in the top three along with petrochemical industry and tourism. About 25,000 farms work to produce agricultural commodities on nearly 8 million acres of farmland. Forestry, included in the agricultural sector, is important as well – the state features about 14 million acres of forestland.

Forty-one percent of the nation’s wetlands are housed in the Pelican State, which also has the third-longest coastline in the nation at 7,721 miles long, according to the NOAA. State commercial fishing produces 25% of all seafood in the nation, putting Louisiana at No. 1 for crawfish, shrimp, alligator, menhaden and oyster production. Poultry products are important, too, along with rice, corn, sugarcane, soybeans, and cattle and calves. Looking to spice up a meal? Louisiana will get you fired up – it’s the main source of Tabasco peppers.