What US states produce the most food? (Ranking 1-50) | Farm Progress (2024)

FAQs

What US states produce the most food? (Ranking 1-50) | Farm Progress? ›

California ranks first in the U.S. for agricultural cash receipts followed by Iowa, Texas, Nebraska and Illinois.

If you're cruising the produce aisle of your favorite local grocer, there's a good chance that many of the fruits, vegetables and nuts you see were grown right here in the Golden State! In fact, California leads the nation in the growth and production of many different crops – and some are grown ONLY in California*.

Corn, soybeans account for more than half of the 2022 U.S. crop cash receipts. Crop cash receipts totaled $278.2 billion in calendar year 2022. Receipts from corn and soybeans accounted for $148.5 billion (53.4 percent) of the total.

Uttar Pradesh is India's top farming state, with considerable state-level crop production including bajra, rice, sugarcane, food grains, and many others.

Uttar Pradesh is the largest food grains-producing state in India. The state produces a wide variety of food grains, including rice, wheat, maize, sorghum, millets, and pulses. In 2020-21, Uttar Pradesh produced a total of 109.4 million tonnes of food grains.

Some of the best states to start a farm or ranch are Montana, Kansas, North Dakota, Texas and Oklahoma, to name a few. Though farming or ranching are not considered glamorous, it is still one of the most rewarding and essential professions in the world.

3. The United States. No country produces food as efficiently as the U.S. Despite having a significantly smaller workforce than China, the total U.S. agricultural produce is almost as high.

Flexi Says: The most fertile soil in the world is located in the region known as the "Black Belt" in the United States, which stretches across parts of Mississippi, Alabama, and Georgia. This region is known for its rich, dark soil, which is ideal for growing crops.

Arid Western states — like California (No. 1), Arizona (No. 4), and Nevada (No. 10) — use the most water, 2.8–4.7 acre-feet per acre of farmland.

Where does the U.S. get most of its food? ›

Canada and the European Union are the two largest suppliers of U.S. agricultural imports, followed by Mexico.

Which are the top 10 agriculture-producing States? The top 10 agriculture-producing States in terms of cash receipts in calendar year 2022 are (in descending order): California, Iowa, Nebraska, Texas, Illinois, Minnesota, Kansas, Indiana, North Carolina, and Wisconsin.

California ranks first in the U.S. for agricultural cash receipts followed by Iowa, Texas, Nebraska and Illinois.

Surprisingly, the largest state (Alaska) has even fewer farms than the smallest state (Rhode Island): 1,050 versus 1,100. Rounding out the top five in farm net income per state are Nebraska with $4.1 billion, Iowa with $3.2 billion, and Washington with about $3 billion.

With 22,255 manufacturers employing 1,350,085 manufacturing workers, California is the nation's largest manufacturing state.

The top three exporters of plant products have consistently been California, Illinois, and Iowa. California is the top exporter of a range of vegetable, fruits, and nuts, whereas Illinois and Iowa are top exporters of soybeans, corn, and feeds.

The largest United States crop in terms of total production is corn, the majority of which is grown in a region known as the Corn Belt. The second largest crop grown in the United States is soybeans.

Canada and the European Union are the two largest suppliers of U.S. agricultural imports, followed by Mexico.