West Virginia Department of Agriculture
West Virginia has 20,800 primarily family-owned and operated farms, generating nearly a half-billion dollars worth of products annually. Although the state is ranked 37th in population and 41st in geographical size, it ranks 11th in apple production, 13th in peach production, 15th in turkey production and 16th in broiler chicken production.
State agribusinesses are an expanding element of the state’s economy, 400 agribusinesses annually produce at least $100 million worth of value-added, West Virginia Grown products. Nearly all of these companies are locally owned and operated and inject a large portion of their net revenue back into the local economy in the form of wages and business expenses.
West Virginia products are recognized for their high quality and improve the image of the Mountain State across the country and throughout the world. They also dovetail nicely with the state’s tourism industry, as studies indicate that vacationers seek unique culinary experiences when they travel.
The West Virginia Department of Agriculture has seven divisions, Administrative Services, Animal Health, Communication, Marketing and Development, Meat and Poultry Inspection, Plant Industries and Regulatory and Environmental Affairs, to accomplish priorities that face agriculture, economic development, public health, and the environment.
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Top 5 agriculture commodities, 2007
|
|
|
Value of receipts
thousand $
|
Percent of state total
farm receipts
|
Percent of US value
|
|
1. Broilers
|
160,020
|
33.3
|
0.7
|
|
2. Cattle and calves
|
115,360
|
24.0
|
0.2
|
|
3. Turkeys
|
40,611
|
8.5
|
1.1
|
|
4. Dairy products
|
39,006
|
8.1
|
0.1
|
|
5. Chicken eggs
|
32,723
|
6.8
|
0.5
|
|
|
|
All commodities
|
479,881
|
|
0.2
|
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Farm income and value added data
|
|
|
2006
|
2007
|
|
|
|
Number of farms
|
21,200
|
21,400
|
|
|
|
|
Thousands $
|
|
Final crop output
|
72,171
|
77,589
|
|
+ Final animal output
|
373,255
|
397,457
|
|
+ Services and forestry
|
194,158
|
215,491
|
|
= Final agricultural sector output
|
639,584
|
690,536
|
|
|
|
- Intermediate consumption outlays
|
398,513
|
421,727
|
|
+ Net government transactions
|
-6,972
|
-11,973
|
|
= Gross value added
|
234,098
|
256,837
|
|
|
|
- Capital consumption
|
138,281
|
144,233
|
|
|
|
= Net value added
|
95,817
|
112,604
|
|
|
|
- Factor payments
|
65,365
|
63,500
|
|
Employee compensation (total hired labor)
|
35,136
|
30,301
|
|
Net rent received by nonoperator landlords
|
-1,940
|
-1,028
|
|
Real estate and nonreal estate interest
|
32,169
|
34,227
|
|
|
|
= Net farm income
|
30,452
|
49,104
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http://www.ers.usda.gov/StateFacts/WV.HTM
http://www.wvagriculture.org/