Mississippi Agriculture 2024

From the Mississippi Delta all the way to the Gulf Coast, agriculture is big business in every region of the Magnolia State. In fact, it’s Mississippi’s No. 1 industry, contributing over $8.33 billion to the economy each year.

Approximately 34,700 farms spread across 10.4 million acres, averaging about 300 acres in size. Agriculture is prominent in all of Mississippi’s 82 counties, and the industry employs about 17.4% of the state’s workforce, directly and indirectly.

Those workers include everyone from food processors and restaurants featuring local ingredients to the hardworking farmers who tend to the land, producing some of the state’s top agricultural commodities. Poultry and eggs, forestry products, soybeans, cotton, and corn round out the top five commodities for Mississippi, with poultry alone bringing in $2.42 million.

Encompassing more than crops and commodities, Mississippi’s agriculture industry includes everything from agricultural education and agritourism to conservation and innovation efforts. Mississippi farmers adapt to a changing world to bring farming to the forefront, including incorporating social media efforts into their marketing, partnering together to support each other through tough times and thinking outside the box to diversify their operations.