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Explore Illinois agriculture and learn what makes it unique.
Illinois ranks 6th in the nation for the sale of agricultural products and is a leading producer of field crops such as Corn and Soybeans. The midwest is known for great soil quality and growing conditions, and Illinois is certainly no exception. There are over 27 million acres of farmland in Illinois, of which, over 90% is considered “prime” farmland or land that has the best combination of physical and chemical characteristics for producing crops. In fact, Illinois ranks third in the nation for the number of active farming acres considered “prime” cropland. For this reason and many others, Illinois has remained in the top 5 states in terms of agricultural exports in the nation since 2000.
The latest USDA Ag Census revealed that Illinois farmers grew and sold $17 billion dollars worth of agricultural products, of which over 80% were field, nursery, and greenhouse crops. In 2018, Illinois was the number 1 exporter of Soybeans and Soybean mill, as well as the number 2 exporter of Corn, Feeds, and processed grain products in the United States.
The top 5 counties in terms of agricultural sales in Illinois were Mclean County, Iroquois County, Livingston County, DeKalb County, and Champaign County. These counties combined make up 12% of Illinois' total agricultural revenue.
$17B
72,651
372 Acres
