Texas was by far the leading U.S. state in terms of total number of farms, with about 231 thousand farms by the end of 2024. Iowa was ranked second, among the leading ten states, with 86.7 thousand farms as of 2023. Farms classification In the United States farms are classified based on the farm income and government payments into six sales classes. According to the USDA, about half of all farms in the U.S. were classified in the 1,000 to 9,999 U.S. dollars sales class in 2023. Farming sector in the U.S. The total number of farms in the United States has decreased steadily since 2007. As of 2022, there were about 1.89 million farms in the U.S., down slightly from 1.9 million in the previous year. Contrastingly, the average farm acreage in the United States has increased in the past few years. The number of employees, including both part-time and full-time workers, in this sector was over 965 thousand as of 2019.

Hogs and pigs are one of the main sources of meat in the United States, and there is a thriving domestic pork market. As of March 2024, Iowa had an inventory of about 25.1 million hogs and pigs, making it the top producer of swine in the country by a large margin. In that same year, the second largest producer of hogs and pigs was Minnesota, with about nine million head. Swine Production Pigs have several advantages over other livestock. They are good at converting animal feed into meat and do not require large grazing areas. In addition, almost every part of the pig can be eaten or processed, making them an efficient source of meat. Thus, raising pigs for consumption is a good investment for small-scale farmers and factory farms alike. Pork Market in the U.S. Some of the classic staples of an American breakfast are bacon, sausage, or ham, which are all pork products. Pork is one of the most frequently consumed types of meat in the United States with the average American consuming about 51.1 pounds of pork per year as of 2020. In 2022, over 27 billion pounds of pork were produced in the United States.

This statistic shows the peach production in the United States in 2023, by state. California ranked first among U.S. states, with a production of *** thousand tons that year. The peach producing industry in the United States - additional information The peach tree, native to Northwest China, is believed to have been domesticated and cultivated since 2000 BC. From China, where it was favored by royals and depicted in tapestries and literary works, it was brought to India, Persia, Greece and later on to the American continent. Today, the peach fruit (as well as the nectarine, which is a peach variety, not a different fruit) comes in hundreds of cultivars of different sizes, slightly different colors and aromas and is cultivated all around the world. As of 2021, the peach and nectarine production worldwide amounted to around ***** million metric tons, with Asia being the largest regional producer. Fruit consumption in the U.S. In the United States, the total peach production was estimated at about ***** thousand tons in 2022. That same year, California was shown as the largest producer on a state level, with some *** thousand tons harvested, representing about two thirds of the total national production. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, in 2021 about *** pounds of peaches and nectarines per capita were consumed in the United States , a decrease from about *** pounds per capita a decade prior. Annually, Americans eat around ** pounds of fresh fruit per capita, bananas, apples, and grapes being the most popular.

California was the leading U.S. state in terms of the overall number of milk cows, with a total of over 1.7 million milk cows as of 2024. The total number of milk cows on farms in the United States shows that California holds a significant share of the total number of milk cows in the country. Unsurprisingly, California is also the leading milk producing state in the United States. Dairy industry in the U.S. According to the USDA, milk from U.S. farms is 90 percent water, with milk fat and skim solids making up the remaining 10 percent. Cow milk is a component of several dietary staples, such as cheese, butter, and yoghurt. Dairy is a very important industry in the United States, with this sector alone creating significant employment throughout the United States. The overall income of dairy farms in the U.S. amounted to about 51.3 billion U.S. dollars. Holtsein is the most popular breed of dairy cow farmed in the United States. Holstein have the highest milk production per cow in comparison to any other breed. Where is the U.S. positioned in the global dairy market? Topped only by the EU-27, the United States ranks as the second largest cow milk producer in the world, followed by India, Russia, and China. The United States also features among the top ten global milk exporters. The outlook for the future of the industry is also good, with milk production in the United States projected to steadily increase over the next years.

This statistic shows the top ten cheese producing U.S. states in 2023. In that year, Wisconsin was the market leader, where around 3.5 billion pounds of cheese were produced. In the U.S., natural cheese makes up the largest share of cheese sales, generating approximately 11.7 billion U.S. dollars in 2022. Cheese in the United States Cheese is mostly common in the Western cultural sphere, where it is one of the basic foodstuffs, and a major agricultural product. With some seven million metric tons, the European Union is the world’s leading producer of cheese. The United States follows, producing approximately 6.35 million metric tons. The top cheese producing U.S. states are Wisconsin and California. Wisconsin’s nickname as “America’s Dairyland” punctuates the state’s leading position within the U.S. dairy industry. More than three and a half billion pounds of cheese are produced in Wisconsin. California is the second largest producer. As expected, these states also count the highest number of milk cows among all U.S. states. Total consumption of all types of cheese in the United States stands slightly lower than the production volume. This means, that every American consumes over 40 kilograms of cheese annually. The most popular types of cheese among U.S. consumers are Italian-style varieties like, for example, Mozzarella and Parmesan.

China and India are the main producers of potatoes, with the United States ranked fourth among the leading potato producers worldwide. In the United States, Idaho topped the ranking of leading potato producing states, with an annual production amount of about *** million cwt of potatoes in 2024. Washington and Wisconsin were the next largest producers with production amounting to about *** million cwt and **** million cwt, respectively in that year. U.S. potato history The potato was first discovered in South America and was widely grown throughout the Americas by 1719. Nowadays, potatoes are grown in almost every region in the United States. Since 2001, between *** thousand and *** million acres of potatoes have been planted and harvested each year. U.S. potato utilization In 2022, about ** million cwt of potato was used for chips and shoestring fries across the United States. Fresh potato consumption per capita has been decreasing since 2010, while per capita consumption of fresh sweet potatoes had been on an upward trend until 2017.

In the current period, revenue growth in the nursery and garden retail industry has been largely driven by increased home improvement spending and robust agricultural industry performance. Rising per capita disposable income has encouraged homeowners and renters alike to invest in improving their properties, particularly in gardens and outdoor living spaces. Simultaneously, the agricultural sector's strong performance has bolstered sales for farm supply retailers, especially in the fertilizer segment where high prices have persisted. Despite a sluggish housing market, these factors have enabled the industry to experience notable revenue growth. Overall, revenue for the industry in the current period has expanded at a CAGR of 0.2% to an estimated $54.0 billion after an increase of 0.1% in 2025. Competition from one-stop-shop and big box retailers like Home Depot, Lowe’s and Walmart has exerted significant pressure on nursery and garden retailers. These large retailers have capitalized on their ability to offer lower prices due to bulk sourcing to take over market share. This competition has also made it challenging for smaller, independent nurseries to raise prices, even as their purchasing costs rise, ultimately reducing their profit. This trend has compelled smaller retailers to distinguish themselves by offering specialized plants and personalized services. Looking ahead, the outlook for the nursery and garden retail industry is optimistic, buoyed by a projected recovery in the housing market. Anticipated to grow by 3% through 2030, housing starts will stimulate demand for landscaping and outdoor projects among new homeowners. As inflation and interest rates stabilize, economic uncertainty will ease, further encouraging discretionary spending on home improvements. Moreover, urbanization trends will continue to drive demand for indoor gardening products, offering retailers the opportunity to cater to a growing market segment seeking small-space-friendly and aesthetically pleasing home enhancements. Industry revenue is projected to grow at a CAGR of 0.6% to reach $55.6 billion in 2030.

This statistic shows strawberry production in the United States in 2023, by state. In that year, the production of strawberries in California amounted to about 25.7 million cwt. The strawberry industry The garden strawberry (Fragaria × ananassa), is a plant cultivated worldwide for its usually red, sweet and aromatic fruit. The strawberries’ distinct flavor makes them popular in all forms: fresh, frozen, canned, as part of food and drink recipes, but also as a widely-used artificial flavoring in cosmetics or perfumes. However, due to the fact that they are sensitive to weather and thrive only under certain climate conditions, worldwide strawberry production is relatively low compared to other fruit crops, such as bananas, which are easier to maintain and produce fruit year-round. In 2021, the global strawberry production reached some 9.2 million metric tons, while the worldwide production of watermelons exceeded 101 million metric tons. U.S. fruit production and consumption With an annual strawberry production of 1.39 million tons of in 2022, the United States is one of the leaders of the global strawberry market, accounting for about 15 percent of the total world’s production. Favorable climate conditions make the state of California the largest producer of strawberries in the United States. In 2022, 24.8 million hundredweight of strawberries were produced in California, considerably more than the second ranked, Florida, with about three million hundredweight. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, strawberries are the seventh most popular fruit consumed in the United States. Annually, Americans eat over 100 pounds of fresh fruit per capita.

Iowa had the highest number of chickens of any U.S. state in 2023 with just over 54 million heads. Ohio and Indiana came in second and third place, with around 52 million and 45 million heads respectively. Chickens are one of the most commonly produced livestock in the United States. Chicken farming Farming chickens has a distinct advantage over other livestock in that they require relatively little space and minimal initial investment in order to thrive. In the United States, there are two main kinds of farmed chickens: chickens for meat and egg-laying hens. In 2020, there were approximately 518.3 million chickens in the United States. Poultry consumptionPer capita poultry consumption in the United States is expected to grow slowly in coming years to over 117 pounds per person by 2030. In 2020, the region that spent the most on poultry per consumer unit was the Northeastern United States at 244 U.S. dollars. In comparison, consumer units in the Midwest only spent about 158 U.S. dollars on poultry in that year. When it comes to processed meat and poultry purchases, American consumers tend to prefer national brands to private label.

The U.S. state with the highest number of laying hens in 2023 was Iowa with approximately 44.4 million head of chicken. The United States is also the fourth leading producer of eggs worldwide. Egg industry The global production volume of eggs reached about 86.4 million metric tons in 2021, up from about 55 million metric tons in 2000. The vast majority of the world’s chicken eggs are produced in China. In 2021, some 586 billion eggs were laid in China, about five times more than the United States. The total value of eggs produced in the United States peaked in 2015, but has since decreased. Egg retail in the United States In the United States eggs are a popular breakfast food as well as an ingredient in many recipes. Since chicken eggs seem to be more or less homogenous across different brands, private label eggs are the leading fresh egg brand in the United States in terms of dollar sales. In 2022, the best selling name brand of fresh eggs was Eggland’s Best, followed by Vital Farms and Pete & Gerry’s.

Exports of agricultural products from the United States of America came to ******* billion U.S. dollars in 2022. The third-largest exporter of agricultural products was the Netherlands. This is likely due to the country's role as a major European shipping hub. Brazil exported agricultural products worth, ******** U.S. dollars.

This statistic shows the ten U.S. states where the highest amount of honey was produced in 2023. According to the report, North Dakota produced approximately 38.3 million pounds of honey that year. Honey production in the United States - additional information The use of honey can be traced back to ancient times, with eight thousand year-old cave paintings depicting humans harvesting wild honey. Recorded history shows that honey has been used as part of foods and drinks, as medicine and as part of sacred rituals by many cultures around the world. In modern times, honey is still sometimes collected from wild bee colonies, but most of the worldwide production comes from domesticated beehives. The leading five worldwide producers alone, China, Turkey, Argentina, Ukraine and the United States, harvest annually a combined 1.2 million metric tons of natural honey. The yearly per capita honey consumption in the United States ranges between 0.9 and 1.5 kilograms of honey. Other countries where honey consumption per capita per year exceeds one kilogram are Austria, Germany and Switzerland. In 2021, the estimated deliveries of pure honey for domestic food and beverage use in the United States amounted to approximately 241 thousand short tons. In 2021, the total amount of honey produced in the country was an estimated 126.5 million pounds. The United States is a major exporter of honey towards countries such as the Philippines, Canada, or South Korea. It also imports honey from all over the world, including Canada, India or Vietnam. India is however the largest source of honey to the United States, with over 44 thousand metric tons delivered in 2018 alone. As of 2021, the value of the honey industry in the United States was estimated at some 321.22 million U.S. dollars.

Denmark and Switzerland had the highest per capita consumption of organic food of any country in the world in 2023. That year, the average Swiss and Danish consumer purchased around *** and *** euros of organic food, respectively. Luxembourg also ranked highly in terms of organic food consumption in that year. Organic farming What constitutes food as “organic” is a subject of contention. Different organizations and certifiers have differing criteria on what counts as organic, but perhaps the broadest definition of organic food is food that has been grown without artificial fertilizers, pesticides, chemicals, or GMOs. The area of land used for organic farming has increased substantially over the last several years, amounting to over ** million hectares worldwide in 2021, expanding by about ** million hectares since 2015. Organic food and U.S. consumers Organic food is readily available in many grocery stores and supermarkets across the United States. Two of the biggest organic food categories are fresh produce and dairy. In 2021, retail sales of organic fruit and vegetables amounted to ** billion U.S. dollars, more than any other individual food category.

In 2023, India was the leading organic food producing country in the world, measured by number of producers. In that year, India had over *** million organic food producers, which is more than the number of all organic food producers in the other nine leading countries in the world combined. Organic food consumption Switzerland and Denmark are the two leading countries in terms of organic food consumption per capita, annually, they consume approximately *** and *** euros worth of organic food products, respectively. Out of the ten leading countries with the highest organic food per capita consumption, the first seven are all in Europe. In eighth and ninth place were the United States and Canada, respectively. Organic Agriculture There are approximately ** million hectares of organic farmland worldwide. Although India had the highest number of organic food producers, Australia had by far the largest share of organic agricultural land worldwide. Australia’s share was approximately **** of the total organic farmland on the globe. To put this in perspective, Australia was followed by Argentina and China, which had a share of **** percent and **** percent, respectively.

In 2023, Australia was ranked first with an organic agricultural land area amounting to about ** million hectares. The land area used for organic agriculture in Australia is thus larger than the acreage of all the other leading countries combined. Australia is followed by India and Argentina, which each had areas of organic agriculture of approximately **** and **** million hectares, respectively. Organic farming in the United States Among the different States in the United States, the State of California has the largest number of organic farms and ranches, with approximately *****. California is followed by the States of Wisconsin and New York, which have about *** million hectares each. In terms of land ownership of organic acreage, over *** million acres of certified organic land operated in the United States was rented from others. Organic food worldwide Worldwide sales of organic foods have experienced nearly constant growth during the last two decades. The United States has by far the largest share of global retail sales of organic food, with ** percent. The sales value of organic food in the United States has more than quadrupled during the last 15 years. To classify as organic, specific farming standards have to be applied during food production. The global per capita consumption of organic food is highest in Denmark and Switzerland.

Worldwide, the biggest producer of waste per capita is Canada. At an estimated **** metric tons per year, this was ** metric tons more per capita than the United States. Canada produces an estimated **** billion metric tons of waste per year, with **** billion metric tons of this generated by industrial waste. The volumes of waste shown include municipal solid waste (MSW), but also special waste. Special waste includes industrial, medical, E-waste, hazardous and agricultural waste. In comparison, the United States is the leading producer of daily municipal solid waste per capita worldwide.

In 2024, global pork production was led by *****, which produced over ** million metric tons of pork in that year. The ************** and the ************* held the second and third positions, respectively. In that year, global pork production amounted to over *** million metric tons. Pig farming in China As China has experienced rapid economic growth, the demand for pork in the country has too increased. Although, the majority of pig farms in China are small scale operations, the introduction of factory farming methods with large scale production of swine is on the rise. The development of modern farms has been one of the most important factors in satisfying the increasing demand for pork in China. As of 2022, there were *** million pigs in China, more than any other country. Global meat consumption The most commonly consumed meats in world are poultry and pork, though in the next several years poultry is expected to overtake pork in popularity. Global consumption of pork is projected to increase from ***** metric kilotons in 2021 to about *** metric kilotons by 2031. In the United States, however, per capita consumption of red meat is expected to level off at a little over *** pounds.

This statistic shows the leading egg producing countries worldwide in 2023. In China, some 612 billion eggs were produced in that year. Egg production Eggs belong to the animal product category. They are laid by female animals. The most common types for human consumption include eggs laid by chickens, ducks, quail, roe and caviar. Bird and reptile eggs consist of an egg yolk and an egg white and a protective egg shell. Egg varieties carried by retailers include brown- and white-colored eggs. They are further classified by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) based on the internal quality and their external appearance. Grades to be distinguished between include Grade AA, Grade A, and Grade B eggs. In the European Union, eggs are not graded by their quality but on their used farming method (organic or conventional, free range, barn range). Eggs are a common food used in a large variety of dishes as they are a large supplier of protein and other valuable minerals and vitamins. On the breakfast table, they may be enjoyed –depending on the region – as a scrambled egg, hard-boiled egg or as a fried egg with the ‘sunny side up’.

This graph shows the global vegetable production in 2023, broken down by type. In that year, approximately 192.32 million metric tons of tomatoes were produced worldwide. Vegetable production The term vegetable refers to an edible part of a plant which can be consumed raw or cooked. Eating vegetables is beneficial to one’s health—they are the main sources of nutrients such as vitamins A and C, potassium, folic acid and dietary fiber. Dietary fiber from vegetables aids in reducing cholesterol levels, lowers the risk of heart disease and is also essential for digestion. People who consume more fruit and vegetables as part of a healthy and balanced diet are more likely to reduce the risk of several chronic diseases.In 2020, Asia accounted for more than three-fourths of the world vegetable production. In that year, China was the leading producer of fresh vegetables worldwide, with a production volume exceeding 594 million metric tons. Coming in third place, the United States had a fresh vegetable production amounting to some 33 million metric tons in 2020. In the United States, California was the largest producer of fresh market vegetables in 2020. That year, onions and tomatoes were the most consumed vegetables on average by Americans, with per capita consumption of onions and tomatoes reaching 21 pounds and 19 pounds, respectively.

The European Union is by far the top producer of cheese worldwide. In 2024, the 27 countries that make up the European Union produced about 10.7 million metric tons of cheese. International cheese trade The total export value of dairy products has risen over the last few years. Many of the top exporters of cheese worldwide are part of the European Union, as to be expected. In 2022, Germany was the number one exporter of cheese. The Netherlands, France, and Italy are all world renowned for their cheese production and were also some of the top exporters of cheese in that year. Cheese consumption in the U.S. Per capita cheese consumption is on the rise in the United States. In 2022, the average American consumed 41.8 pounds of cheese, up from 33 pounds in 2010. There is a positive trend in cheese consumption in the United States, and Americans are projected to consume even more cheese per capita in the future. In terms of unit sales, shredded cheese is the bestselling form of cheese among U.S. consumers.