Take a bow, Iowa farmers

The numbers show Iowa’s prowess in agriculture, and not just in corn and pork. Iowa ranked first in 10 major categories of agriculture for 2006, according to figures released in May by the National Agricultural Statistics Service. The statistics show Iowa also set a record last year for hog production, with 17.2 million head. The record to beat this year: 14.4 million acres of corn planted, which was set in1981. For more information, see www.nass.usda.gov/ia. HOW IOWA AGRICULTURE RANKS: NET FARM INCOME # 4 Total value of Iowa farms' net income1 $3.4 billion NATIONAL RANKINGS 1 California $9.1 billion 2 Texas $6.3 billion 3 North Carolina $3.6 billion PRINCIPAL CROPS # 2 Total value of Iowa's principal crops2 $10.1 billion NATIONAL RANKINGS 1 California $18.9 billion 3 Illinois $9.8 billion 4 Minnesota $7.0 billion NUMBER OF FARMS # 3 Number of farms in Iowa 88,600 NATIONAL RANKINGS 1 Texas 230,000 2 Missouri 105,000 4 Kentucky 84,000 COMMERCIAL HOG SLAUGHTER #1 Number of hogs slaughtered in Iowa 29.7 million NATIONAL RANKINGS 2 North Carolina 11.3 million 3 Illinois 9.5 million 4 Minnesota 9.4 million CATTLE AND CALVES #7 Number of cattle and calves in Iowa3 4.0 million NATIONAL RANKINGS 1 Texas 14.0 million 2 Nebraska 6.7 million 3 Kansas 6.4 million EGG PRODUCTION # 1 Number of eggs produced in Iowa 13.8 billion NATIONAL RANKINGS 2 Ohio 7.5 billion 3 Pennsylvania 6.7 billion 4 Indiana 6.6 billion Note: All figures are for 2006 unless otherwise indicated. 1. 2005 figures 2. Crop acreages included are corn, sorghum, oats, barley, wheat, rice, rye, soybeans, flaxseed, peanuts, sunflowers, cotton, all hay, dry edible beans, dry edible peas, Austrian winter peas, lentils, potatoes, sweet potatoes, tobacco, sugar cane and sugar beets. 3. As of Jan. 1, 2007 4. As of Dec. 1, 2006 Source: USDA