North Dakota Department of Agriculture
Amber waves of grain – hard red spring wheat, durum and barley – have long been the mainstay of the North Dakota’s agricultural economy. More recently, the state has become the nation’s leading producer of such crops such as sunflowers, field peas, dry edible beans, lentils and canola. North Dakota is also a major producer of sugar beets, potatoes and other commodities.
Thanks to the growing demand for ethanol, corn production, once largely confined the southeast corner of North Dakota, is now statewide. Soybean and canola production is also rapidly increasing to meet the demand for biodiesel.
The state’s livestock industry, mostly cow-calf and purebred cattle production, accounts for about 15 percent of the state’s agricultural cash receipts.
Nearly 90 percent of North Dakota land area is in farms and ranches. Agriculture is the largest segment of the state’s economy and is responsible for almost one-fourth of the state’s employment
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Top 5 agriculture commodities, 2006
|
|
|
Value of receipts
thousand $
|
Percent of state total
farm receipts
|
Percent of US value
|
|
1. Wheat
|
1,060,372
|
26.6
|
14.5
|
|
2. Cattle and calves
|
726,132
|
18.2
|
1.5
|
|
3. Soybeans
|
588,176
|
14.8
|
3.5
|
|
4. Corn
|
269,708
|
6.8
|
1.2
|
|
5. Sugar beets
|
224,746
|
5.6
|
18.8
|
|
|
|
All commodities
|
3,980,728
|
|
1.7
|
|
Farm income and value added data
|
|
|
2005
|
2006
|
|
|
|
Number of farms
|
30,300
|
30,300
|
|
|
|
|
Thousands $
|
|
Final crop output
|
3,116,750
|
2,863,994
|
|
+ Final animal output
|
1,002,191
|
1,047,362
|
|
+ Services and forestry
|
381,958
|
461,452
|
|
= Final agricultural sector output
|
4,500,898
|
4,372,808
|
|
|
|
- Intermediate consumption outlays
|
2,461,211
|
2,581,900
|
|
+ Net government transactions
|
617,766
|
223,819
|
|
= Gross value added
|
2,657,453
|
2,014,727
|
|
|
|
- Capital consumption
|
544,092
|
562,120
|
|
|
|
= Net value added
|
2,113,361
|
1,452,607
|
|
|
|
- Factor payments
|
869,679
|
846,725
|
|
Employee compensation (total hired labor)
|
155,006
|
158,886
|
|
Net rent received by nonoperator landlords
|
429,751
|
364,678
|
|
Real estate and nonreal estate interest
|
284,922
|
323,161
|
|
|
|
= Net farm income
|
1,243,682
|
605,882
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http://www.agdepartment.com/