Arkansas farm sales receipts down $1.2 billion in 2009
by November 11, 2010 1:30 pm 50 views
Sales of recession-wracked Arkansas farm products were nearly down across the board in 2009 as agricultural cash receipts fell by 14.4% from the previous year, according to recent statistics from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Overall, Arkansas cash receipts from all commodities totaled $7.19 billion for the 2009 calendar year, down $1.21 billion from 2008. Arkansas ranked 12th in the nation in total agricultural cash receipts.
Only farm chickens and other livestock showed increases from the previous year. Arkansas ranked 10th in the nation in cash receipts from total livestock and products.
Cash receipts from livestock and livestock products decreased $515 million from 2008, to $3.96 billion. The largest contributor to the decrease in this category was poultry and eggs with $3.32 billion, down $592 million from 2008, including broilers which decreased $293 million to $2.64 billion. Arkansas ranked second behind Georgia in broiler cash receipts in 2009.
Cattle and calves decreased $57.8 million to $437 million. Farm chicken production, which represents less than 1% of total cash receipts, rose slightly from 10.7 million in 2008 to $10.8 million in 2009.
Among Arkansas crop products, cash receipts fell $700 million from 2008 to $3.23 billion. The largest contributor to this decrease was rice sales, totaling $1.23 billion, down $177 million from $1.41 billion in 2008. Arkansas still continues to lead the nation in rice cash receipts.
Other commodities showing decreased cash receipts from 2008 were corn, cotton lint, cottonseed, wheat, hay, sorghum, fresh market tomatoes, watermelons, miscellaneous vegetables, blueberries, grapes, peaches, and other field crops. The largest percentage increase in cash receipts from 2008 was pecans, increasing $572,000 to $2.44 million from $1.87 million.
Soybeans was the only other crop showing an increase from 2008 with cash receipts at $1.18 billion up from the $1.14 billion from 2008. Arkansas ranked 17th in the nation in total crop cash receipts.