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MARYLAND AT A GLANCE

AGRICULTURE

  • Agriculture, by G. Terry Sharrer
  • Calendar of Maryland Harvests
  • Department of Agriculture
    • [photo, Tractor exhibition, Cecil County Fair, Fair Hill, Maryland]
  • Crops
  • Dairy & Livestock
  • Farm Revenue
  • Poultry

    • Agriculture remains the largest single land use in Maryland, with 2,100,000 acres, or roughly 33 percent of total land area used for farming. Approximately 350,000 people are employed in some aspect of agriculture, making it the largest commercial industry in the State. In 2002, some 12,200 farms averaged 172 acres each. The majority of farmland in Maryland is located in the north central part of the State and the upper Eastern Shore.

    Tractor pull event, Cecil County Fair, Fair Hill, Maryland, July 2000. Photo by Diane F. Evartt.

    [photo, Produce, Frederick County Fair, Frederick, Maryland] In 2002, gross farm income rose to $1.7 billion. Average gross farm income was $137,312, while net farm income was $18,270.

    The 2002 growing season saw extreme weather conditions, particularly the drought of 2002, which made crop production difficult in Maryland. Queen Anne's County led all other counties in soybean, corn and wheat production. Caroline County was first in its harvests of barley and vegetables, while Frederick County led in hay and milk production.

    Produce, Frederick County Fair, Frederick, Maryland, September 2000. Photo by Diane F. Evartt.

    CROPS

    Growing conditions in 2002 were variable, resulting in lower crop yields than in 2001. Corn for grain averaged 76 bushels per acre. From 425,000 acres, 32.3 million bushels of corn were harvested. The soybean yield also was down from the previous year at 23 bushels per acre, with a total production of 10.8 million bushels. Winter wheat rose to 66 bushels per acre, but 11.8 million bushels were harvested. Barley advanced to 82 bushels per acre, totalling 3.4 million bushels. Due to the tobacco buy out, tobacco was harvested from the fewest acres on record, 1,700 acres, and less tobacco was grown than in 2001, a total of 2.4 million pounds.

    DAIRY & LIVESTOCK

    In 2002, milk prices and production declined. Cash receipts were $173.8 million, down from $208 million in 2001. Frederick County led in milk production - its dairy herds continuing to account for 30 percent of the State's total.

    The total number of farms raising cattle declined 2 percent to 4,400, and the total number of cattle and calves also declined by 2 percent to 240,000. Cash receipts for cattle increased from $61.1 million in 2001 to $67.5 million in 2002.

    Hogs and pigs are raised on 510 farms in Maryland. In 2002, cash receipts for market hogs were $5.94 million, down 13 percent from 2001.

    [photo, Rooster, Annapolis, Maryland] POULTRY

    Broiler chickens continued to account for 31 percent of Maryland's agricultural cash receipts in 2002. The State ranks seventh among states in the number of broilers produced and ninth in pounds produced. In 2002, some 293 million broiler chickens were produced, up from 283 million in 2002. Egg production also increased from 870 million in 2001 to 894 million in 2002. Fewer turkeys were produced in 2002, down 25,000 from 2001.

    Broilers brought in $441 million, with average prices falling 26 percent in 2002. Some 293 million broiler chickens were raised in Maryland, up 2 percent from 2001. Egg production increased from 870 million eggs in 2001 to 894 million in 2002. For turkeys, 435,000 birds were raised in 2002, valued at $5.25 million, compared to 460,000 birds worth $6.87 million in 2001.

    Rooster, Annapolis, Maryland, August 2003. Photo by Diane F. Evartt.

    [photo, Cattle sign, Maryland State Fair, Timonium, Maryland]

    The Department of Agriculture is responsible for marketing, animal industries, and consumer services; plant industries and pest management; and resource conservation. Data relating to the production and marketing of agricultural products, agriculture prices and income, and other statistics pertinent to agriculture and agribusiness is compiled and published by the Agricultural Statistics Service, a State statistical office of the National Agricultural Statistics Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture.

    The Maryland Cooperative Extension is a statewide education system operated by the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources of the University of Maryland, College Park. For farmers and others involved in agriculture, the Extension offers problem-solving resources and scientific expertise through its network of county extension offices.

    Traditional showcases of agriculture persist through the annual Maryland State Fair (to be held next from August 25 to September 4, 2006) at Timonium; annual county fairs; and regional farmers' markets.

    Cattle sign, Maryland State Fair, Timonium, Maryland, September 1998. Photo by Diane P. Frese.

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