VIRGINIA AGRICULTURE - FACTS AND FIGURES
Virginia agriculture is a diverse industry that encompasses traditional crops and products such as milk, poultry, beef, and soybeans; uniquely southern crops like cotton, peanuts, and tobacco; and newer commodities such as farm-raised fish and nursery/landscaping products. Virginia ranks in the top 10 or 15 producing states in many areas and is well-known around the world for pork, tobacco, seafood, and other products.- The typical farmer in Virginia is 57 years old. Nearly 30 percent of farmers are 65 or more years of age.
- The average farm size is 181 acres and has assets worth about $490,000.
- The average farm debt is $49,500 per farm. Approximately 14 percent of Virginia primary farm operators are female.
- The average market value of an acre of the family farm is $2,675.
- There are 47,600 farms in Virginia.
- There were more than twice as many farms in Virginia in 1960 as there are today.
- Farms cover 8.6 million acres, or 34 percent of Virginia's total land area.
- About 8 percent of the farms in Virginia account for 82 percent of the total farm income.
- Virginia farms employ more than 48,000 full-time and part-time workers.
- About 90 percent of Virginia farms are owned and operated by individuals or families.
- About 4 percent of all Virginia farms are operated by minorities.
- Nearly 54 percent of Virginia farmers consider farming their primary occupation.
- About 20 percent of Virginia farms share the farm income with multiple households.
- Approximately 34 percent of Virginia's farmer's utilize computers in their business and 46 percent have Internet access.
Virginia agriculture generates approximately $36 billion annually in total sales for the state. Together, agriculture and forestry are Virginia's number one industry, contributing more than $47 billion to the state economy annually and representing more than 15% of total employment.
Virginia Wine
In 1979, Virginia had just six wineries and only 286 acres devoted to wine
grape production. Twenty-five years later, Virginia boasted 87 wineries and
2,380 acres growing wine grapes. In 2003, this remarkable growth rate translated
into 3,600 tons of wine grapes producing 576,000 gallons or 242,259 cases
of wine as well as national rankings: tenth in commercial grape production,
tenth in bearing acreage, and fifth among Vinifera wine growing states. In
2003, retail sales of 277,947 cases of Virginia wines totaled approximately
$50 million.
Equine
Virginia's horse industry means big business for the state.
With 170,000 horses, Virginia is the fifth largest equine state in the U.S.
Cash receipts for equines sold in 2001 total $99.4 million. In addition,
Virginia’s horse
industry generates nearly 20,000 jobs and over $352 million in wages and
salaries. Virginians spend an average of $2,969 per horse per year which means
$505 million in direct expenditures supporting horses in the state. Horse events
attract over 800,000 participants and spectators to Virginia each year, resulting
in more than $167 million spent in the state related to more than 700 annual
events and competitions.
Aquaculture
Virginia aquaculture sales totaled more than $32.5 million in 2003. Saltwater
species represented $26.5 million of gross sales and freshwater species
accounted for $6 million.
Clam production, up 167 percent from 1997, totaled more than 139.8 million
mature clams and led saltwater species with more than $20.3 million in gross
annual sales. Oyster production, which increased 179 percent over 1997 totals,
ended 2003 with $212,000 in gross sales. Soft shell crabs accounted for over
$3.3 million in gross sales. On the freshwater side, trout represented 21 percent
of gross sales with over $1.2 million. Catfish and hybrid striped bass
combined for a 1 percent share of gross freshwater sales.
Number of Farms and Land in Farms
Virginia's Exports & Export Markets
Rankings of Principal Crops & Livestock