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Montana Agriculture Overview
Explore Montana agriculture and learn what makes it unique.
The products of Montana’s varied farming operations make it the largest industry in the state. Nearly 65% of this production comes from Cattle and Wheat, for which Montana ranks number three in exports in the entire country. Aside from these major commodities, Barley, Sugar Beets, Cherries, Lambs and Hay have been produced widely throughout history and still today. As of 2017, there were a total of 27,048 farms covering 58.1 million acres of land in Montana, 62% of the state’s total land area. The average size of each farm was roughly 2,149 acres, which puts it in the top 5 states in terms of average farm size.
Hover over the chart to view values by county.
Data For Region Not Available
Production Value
montana Farmland Returns
Over the last 20 years, montana farmland has offered average returns of 7.84%. At this rate, $10,000 invested in farmland in 2003 would now be worth over $43,355. Farmland returns are made up of two values, land appreciation, and capitalization rates of the property. Total farmland returns have been positive every year since 1990.
7.8%
Average Annual Returns
Cumulative Returns of Farmland
Source: NCREIF
6.6%
Standard Deviation of Returns
Year Over Year Change (%)
Source: NCREIF
Farmland Returns: Top 5 States
1. nebraska
14.3%
2. north dakota
14%
3. south dakota
12.6%
4. kansas
12.3%
5. washington
11.8%
6. iowa
11.4%