Nebraska Top 10 Agriculture Products
1. Cattle and Calves – With a total of 6.3 million head, Nebraska raises 7.1 percent of the nation’s cattle herd. Beef cattle can be found in every county in the state. The sector earned $10.3 billion in cash receipts in 2012.
2. Corn – The 2012 harvest of 1.29 billion bushels earned $8.52 billion in cash receipts. Nebraska generally ranks third in the nation in corn production. Corn for grain is usually planted from April to June.
3. Soybeans – Nebraska farmers harvested 4.9 million acres in 2012 and generated $3.02 billion in cash receipts. The state annually ranks in the top five in the nation for soybean production.
4. Hogs – The pork sector earned $888 million in cash receipts in 2012. Nebraska generally ranks sixth in the nation for pork production, and the sector supports more than 11,000 jobs.
5. Wheat – Farmers harvested 53.3 million bushels in 2012. Cheyenne County, in the Panhandle, ranked No.1 for production. The state’s wheat sector earned $414 million in cash receipts in 2012.
6. Milk and dairy products – A total of 55,000 head of dairy cows generated milk worth $231 million in cash receipts in 2012. Nebraska is home to approximately 200 dairy farms, with most located in the central and eastern parts of the state.
7. Hay – Farmers generated $211 million in cash receipts on 2.57 million harvested acres of hay in 2012. Alfalfa and grass hay are produced in every county in the state.
8. Chicken eggs – Nebraska is home to 9.3 million chickens that lay about 2.7 billion eggs annually. This commodity generated $180 million in cash receipts in 2012. The state ranks 12th in the nation for egg production.
9. Dry beans – In 2012, the dry beans sector brought in about $111 million in cash receipts. Varieties grown in Nebraska include Great Northern, Pinto, Black, Light Red Kidney, Navy, Pink and Garbanzo.
10. Sugar beets – Sugar beet producers generated $105 million in cash receipts in 2012. In Nebraska, sugar beets are generally planted in April and harvested in October.