Kansas ranks third nationally in cattle production, with 6.4 million headacross the state as of Jan. 1, 2017. That’s a little over twice the state’s human population of more than 2.9 million.
Soybeans
Home to 15,000 soybean farms that harvest more than 4 million acres of the crop, Kansas ranked 10th in soybean production in the U.S. in 2016. Brown County was the state’s leading soybean producer that year, followed by Nemaha, Marshall, Republic and Washington counties.
Corn
With 699 million bushels of corn produced and a yield of 142 bushels per acre in 2016, Kansas harvested the largest corn crop in the state’s history. About two-thirds of the crop is used in-state, and one-third of the crop leaves the state for use domestically and internationally.
Chicken and Eggs
Kansas is one of 12 states considered a surplus egg producer, which means it produces more eggs than the demand. Its egg industry creates and supports 676 jobs in the state with $41.5M cash receipts
Sunflowers
Kansas ranks fourth nationally in sunflower production, with 58,000 harvested acres and 86.6 million pounds of sun flowers sold in 2016.
Sorghum
Kansas is ranked first in the nation for grain sorghum production, growing more than 46 percent of the country’s crop. In addition, the state ranks second in sorghum for silage production in the U.S.
Hay
In 2016, Kansas farmers produced 2.47 million tons of alfalfa, which is a legume hay that is an excellent source of high-quality protein and fiber.
Dairy Products
There are approximately 20 large dairies in western Kansas that account for almost 70 percent of the state’s milk production. The state ranks 16th in the nation for milk production.
Hogs
There are about 1,000 hog farms in Kansas, and of these operations, 150 produce more than 99 percent of the state’s pigs. The state’s pork farms consume over 30 million bushels of grain.
Wheat
Kansas ranks No. 2 in the U.S. when it comes to wheat production, and approximately 20,000 farmers across the state grow the crop. Kansas is No. 1 in hard red winter wheat production, which is typically used in yeast bread and rolls.
