Choosing the Right Land Loan for Your Mississippi Farm
With fertile soils and a 10-month growing season thanks to a semi-tropical climate, Mississippi offers a lot to the agriculture industry. The state has deep roots in traditional ag commodities like cotton, timber, corn and poultry. However, the state has the resources to take advantage of newer trends, such as agritourism and alternative energy. As the nation’s premier land lender, we have the expertise you need to find out if a Mississippi land loan is right for you. Take a look at Mississippi’s unique and diverse ag offerings.
Mississippi Agriculture At-A-Glance
As in many states, agriculture is Mississippi’s most important industry. According to data from the Mississippi Department of Agriculture and Commerce (MDAC), agriculture adds $7.4 billion to the state’s economy and employs nearly 30 percent of the state’s workforce, both directly and indirectly.
The state’s position in the southern portion of the country offers a desirable growing climate, with mild winters and hot, humid summers. Mississippi’s proximity to the Mississippi River and the Gulf of Mexico also make the state a hub for shipping, transportation and commerce. Additionally, the majority of the state’s terrain is categorized as lowlands that are rich with fertile sediment from the river’s flooding. Beyond the river, the state is heavily wooded.
National Rankings
Few states offer the unique freshwater aquaculture of Mississippi, so it’s only natural that Mississippi leads the nation in harvested catfish. Based on 2012 numbers cited by FarmFresh.com, the state had 51,200 acres of catfish ponds that generated $165 million in sales.
Mississippi is within the top ten lists of a number of commodities on a national scale. Case in point, Mississippi is ranked 5th in the nation for its broilers, based on 2012 data. Similarly, the high yields of other top commodities in Mississippi, namely cotton and rice, place the state 6th nationally for both crops.
State Commodities
In The Magnolia State, poultry and eggs are the largest commodity. According to MDAC statistics, 730 million broilers and 1.4 million eggs were produced in 2015 for $3.22 billion in sales. Forestry was the second leading commodity, with $1.16 billion in sales in 2015. The next three top commodities (after poultry/eggs and forestry) were soybeans, cattle/calves and corn.
Cotton, once king of the south, ranks sixth in profitability in Mississippi. One unique commodity holds the seventh spot: catfish; 185 operations brought in $185 million in 2015. Rice, horticultural crops, and hay round out the state’s top ten commodities. Other top-ranking commodities in Mississippi include hogs, sweet potatoes, grain sorghum, and peanuts.
At AgAmerica Lending, we are proud to be a part of Mississippi’s agricultural traditions and promising future. It’s our pleasure to assist people in the ag industry in Mississippi, and the rest of the nation, to preserve time-honored traditions with our agricultural loans, which offer low interest rates, long amortizations, and an outstanding 10-year line of credit.
