Agricultural Economic Development

• 266,392 jobs in the state
• 15.3 percent of the state’s wages and salaries
• 18.6 percent of all industry sales
• 17.5 percent of value-added
• $3.73 billion in local, state, and federal tax revenue contributions

• 10.9 million total acres are in production
• 133,306 acres is the average county number of acres in production
• 345 acres is the average farm size of operation
• 497 farms offer agritourism and recreational activity
• $3.10 million in gross revenue from agritourism and recreational activity
• $77,600 is the average county gross revenue from agritourism and recreational activity
• 349 farms sell direct-to-retail or direct-to-institution
• 1,206 farms sell direct-to-consumer
• $4.02 million in total direct-to-consumer sales
• 94 farmers markets exist across the state (Mississippi Department of Agriculture and Commerce, 2017)

• Total farm acreage: Bolivar, Sunflower, Yazoo, Washington, Tallahatchie, Leflore, Panola, Coahoma, Hinds, and Holmes (Figure 1) 
• Average farm size: Tunica, Issaquena, Sharkey, Washington, Sunflower, Leflore, Coahoma, Bolivar, Humphreys, and Tallahatchie (Figure 2)
• Agritourism and recreational activity: Tunica, Sharkey, Leflore, Coahoma, Quitman, Kemper, Calhoun, De Soto, Franklin, and Benton (Figure 3)
• Direct-to-consumer sales: Chickasaw, Greene, Scott, Simpson, George, Tate, Panola, Harrison, Hinds, and Covington (Figure 4)
• Number of farmers markets: Harrison, Hinds, Jackson, Forrest, Calhoun, Madison, Neshoba, Alcorn, Washington, and Chickasaw (Figure 5)

The Top 10 Figures