By DOUG SCHMITZ Iowa Correspondent
DES MOINES, Iowa — According to a new USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) analysis, Iowa still leads the nation in corn, soybean, hog and egg production.
The Iowa Agricultural Statistics report said livestock production continues to provide important support to the economy, with the state’s cattle, hog and sheep receipts growing by 20 percent last year, or $8.32 billion.
According to the report, Iowa continues to rank No. 1 in hogs in the United States, raising 29 percent of the nation’s pork. Iowa also leads the nation in egg production, raising layer hens (and eggs). What’s more, the state is in the top 10 for raising cattle and calves (seventh), and sheep and lambs (10th). Des Moines remains the No. 1 large city per capita in milk consumption, at 18.7 gallons per person, compared to a U.S. average of 11.5 gallons.
Despite cold and wet temperatures that led to planting and harvest delays, Iowa farmers continue to lead the nation in corn and soybean production. Moreover, while the state had the wettest June on record and snow during the second week of November, Iowa farmers raised the fourth-largest corn and second-largest soybean crops on record.
Dave Miller, Iowa Farm Bureau director of research and commodity services, said “the combination of strong livestock and crop sectors helped boost Iowa’s overall agricultural economy, with Iowa farmers selling farm commodities worth $23.2 billion in 2010, up 6 percent from the previous year.” |