Agriculture is i Arkansas’s #1 industry. If Arkansas had a middle name, it would be “agriculture.” At so many levels in our state, agriculture defines us, from the small family gardens to the field to fork farms to the operations that produce crops and livestock by the ton. Agriculture is our Number 1 industry. Farmers and ranchers contribute more than $21 billion to our economy on 43,000 farms that cover 14 million acres. Each of our 75 counties produces livestock, timber, and/or at least one crop. One out of every six jobs in Arkansas is related to agriculture. Arkansas consistently ranks in the top 25 in the nation for the production of more than 15 different agricultural commodities. We rank 16th in the nation with $8 billion in total cash receipts from agriculture. Arkansas grows more rice than any other state, and our farmers rank among the top 10 for broilers, soybeans, eggs, turkeys, and rice. Arkansas is among the top 25 states for acres harvested in specialty crops such as blackberries, dewberries, peas, okra and turnips. Add in our timber industry, which covers 19 million acres, and you see that our farms and ranches occupy more than half of Arkansas’s land mass. In my four years in office, I have observed farmers and ranchers endure drought and flooding. Their creativity, resilience, and efficiency benefit Arkansas, the United States, Americans, and people around the world. There is a saying that we shouldn’t fuss about farmers with our mouths full. I think that adage also applies to those of us with clothes on our back and a roof over our head. As your governor, I certainly am grateful for the risks you take and the sacrifices you make to ensure that the rest of us are well fed and well supplied. Thank you. Respectfully, Governor Asa Hutchinson State of Arkansas ARKANSAS GROWN 9
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