The Land Lenders Talk Top Commodities in Virginia
Looking at the numbers, a common Virginia slogan should be “Virginia is for agriculture lovers.” Virginia is a southern state with a diverse offering of mountainous regions, major cities, and coastline. With a very temperate climate, major ports and a location between the north and the south, Virginia is a prime ag location.
Stats on Virginia’s Farm Goods
Agriculture is Virginia’s top industry, with over 46,000 farms contributing $55 billion to the state’s economy, according to 2012-2013 ag data from the Virginia Farm Bureau. Approximately 32 percent of Virginia’s land— about 7.9 million acres—is used as farmland. Agriculture and forestry combined add 500,000 jobs and $79 billion to Virginia’s economy.
Nationwide, Virginia is fourth in production of tobacco leaf and 5th in the production of fresh market tomatoes, summer potatoes, and wine-related categories. They are 6th in apples, 7th in grapes, 8th in peanuts, and 10th in fresh market cucumbers. For livestock, they are 5th in the number of heads of turkeys and 10th in broiler chickens.
Top Agricultural Commodities
Virginia agribusinesses produce a variety of products in Virginia, including corn, wheat, soybeans, cotton, hay, and aquaculture. The top five commodities in the state, from first to fifth, are broiler chickens, cattle and calves, dairy products, turkeys, and nursery/greenhouse/sod/turfgrass.
AgAmerica Lending offers farm ag loans to ag producers in Virginia and across the nation. We help agribusinesses to grow and prosper with our agricultural loans that offer low-interest rates, long amortizations, and outstanding 10-year line of credit.
