New Jersey Department of Agriculture

The $82 billion food and agriculture complex is one of New Jersey’s largest industries, ranking after pharmaceuticals and tourism in the economic benefits it brings to the state.

In 2005, the state's 9,800 farms generated cash receipts totaling $857,601,000. The nursery/greenhouse/sod industry remained the leading commodity group with cash receipts of  $362.1 million. Cash receipts for fruits and vegetables totaled $262.7 million, followed by equine at $115 million. Field crops brought in $51.9 million while the dairy industry generated $29.3 million. Sales of poultry and eggs were valued at $22.7 million.

Retaining productive, taxpaying farmland is critically important to all New Jersey residents since agriculture is the largest single source of the scenic vistas we all enjoy throughout the year. Productive farmland covers 790,000 acres.

Farmers in the Garden State produce more than 100 different kinds of fruits and vegetables for consumers to enjoy either fresh or processed here in New Jersey and elsewhere in the Northeast, in Canada and in many countries around the world.  Nationally, New Jersey is one of the top ten producers of cranberries, blueberries, peaches, bell peppers, cucumbers, snap beans, spinach, squash, tomatoes and lettuce.

In addition, growers also produced hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of specialty crops that added a unique flavor to the Garden State’s bounty. Vineyards, for example, are a growing segment of the industry, enabling the state’s 20 vintners to develop a wide variety of award-winning New Jersey wines.

Fish and seafood are also a valuable commodity with tons of bluefish, tilefish, flounder, hake, shellfish and other species harvested annually. With its catch sold here at home and in foreign markets around the world, the commercial fishing industry adds another $159 million to the value of agriculture in New Jersey.

Visit the New Jersey Department of Agriculture website for more information.

http://www.nj.gov/agriculture