Agriculture Commissioner Richie Farmer congratulated Kentucky farmers for again exceeding $4 billion in farm cash receipts in 2010 and surpassing total receipts from the previous year. The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Economic Research Service (ERS) reported that Kentucky farm cash receipts totaled more than $4.44 billion in 2010, a 2.2 percent increase over the adjusted 2009 total of $4.34 billion and the third-highest total on record.
“Kentucky farmers continued to excel in 2010 despite a late-summer drought and a sluggish national economy,” Commissioner Farmer said. “This is the sixth time in the past seven years that Kentucky farm cash receipts have crossed the $4 billion mark. That says a lot about the skill, determination, and work ethic of Kentucky’s farmers. It also says the Kentucky Proud program is increasing Kentucky farm income.”
Sales of livestock and livestock products accounted for nearly $2.6 billion, 6.85 percent higher than the previous year. Cash receipts for crops totaled more than $1.84 billion, a decline of nearly 3.7 percent from the 2009 figure. The record for farm cash receipts in Kentucky is more than $4.7 billion, set in 2008.
Sales of poultry and eggs topped the list for the second consecutive year at more than $953.3 million, an increase of 4.6 percent from the previous year. Horses were next at $700 million (down 10.3 percent), and sales of cattle and calves totaled $615.5 million (up 27 percent). Corn was the leading crop with cash receipts of $603.5 million (up 4.2 percent). Soybeans brought $583 million (up 4.1 percent), followed by tobacco at $331 million (down 13.5 percent), dairy products at $204 million (up 23 percent), and hogs at $107.2 million (up 46.9 percent).
U.S. farm cash receipts totaled $314.4 billion in 2010, an 8.9 percent increase over the 2009 total, according to the ERS.
For state and national farm cash receipts by year and by commodity, go to www.ers.usda.gov.
