America’s amber fields of grain are not only beautiful, they’re also worth big money. As well as putting food on the table of millions of Americans, US agricultural exports have grown significantly over the last 25 years, reaching over $175 billion in 2024. 

As food prices continue to rise, read on to discover the top 20 states producing the most food, how much money they make from it, and which countries around the world are buying it. 

All figures are based on 2023 US Department of Agriculture data on annual farming revenue and exports, the most recent figures available.  

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) provides a round-up of sales – or "agricultural receipts" as they're also called – for each state. In Colorado, this amounted to $9.2 billion in 2023. Of that, farmers and ranchers exported $1.87 billion worth of food, roughly about 20% by revenue.

Colorado is one of the top 10 states for cattle. Beef and dairy products ranked highly among the products sold abroad, with South Korea, Mexico, Canada, China, and Japan responsible for 88% of demand. 

Agriculture is big business in Idaho. The state had a GDP of nearly $96 billion in 2023, and farming receipts generated $10.9 billion of the total that year. And it’s not just potatoes, though Idaho remains America’s largest spud producer.

Of the $2.6 billion worth of food that Idaho exported, the top commodity was dairy products, worth $602 million. Much of that was bought by Mexico, while more than 75% of Idaho's agriculture revenue comes from domestic sales.

Agriculture sales totaled $11.3 billion in Michigan, and the state exported $3.78 billion worth of food, accounting for a third of its revenue in 2023. Its top international customers are neighboring Canada followed by Mexico. 

Soybeans and dairy are among the top items sent abroad, along with other plant products – a catch-all term for commodities besides grain, fruits, and vegetables. Michigan is also the leading state in producing and exporting flower bulbs and bedding plants like begonias and impatiens.

Although the oil and gas industry remains a powerhouse for North Dakota’s economy, food is also a major money-maker for the state, with revenues nearing $12 billion in 2023.

In the same year, it ranked ninth for agricultural exports, selling $5.4 billion worth of products – predominantly soybeans and wheat – to countries around the world. North Dakota exports around 50% of its soybeans, and China is its biggest customer.

The Evergreen State's wet and mild climate is ideal for an array of crops, and the state racked up $11.9 billion in agricultural receipts in 2023, most of which came from domestic sales. Washington leads the nation when it comes to growing hops and apples. 

In the same year, the state's farmers exported $3.5 billion worth of food, with fruits, vegetables, and other plant products the leading commodities. Approximately a third of all apples and 25% of cherries grown in Washington are exported each year. Top markets include Canada, Japan, and Mexico. 

Next up is Georgia, leading the nation in producing peanuts, pecans, and peaches, among other products. Farmers generated $12.5 billion in agricultural sales, with just over a quarter (28%) of that coming from exports.

The $3.5 billion worth of goods sold overseas is largely made up of the state’s cotton crops, which are sold to China, as well as chicken and other poultry.  

America’s largest rice producer, Arkansas had total receipts of $13.1 billion in 2023. It ranks third for cotton behind Texas and Georgia, and is one of the top 10 states for soybeans.

Around a third of Arkansas’ agriculture revenues, $4.26 billion, comes from exports. Of that, almost $1.4 billion comes from soybean commodities alone. Meanwhile, $868 million worth of rice was sold abroad, with Canada the top buyer, followed by Mexico, Saudi Arabia, Taiwan, and Haiti.

Boasting a corn palace, South Dakota ranks 13th for agriculture receipts, totaling $13.6 billion. Corn, of course, is king, along with soybeans, cattle, and hay products.

A third ($4.59 billion) of the state’s farm revenues come from exports. As in Arkansas, the main exports are soybeans and associated products like soybean meal and oil. Canada and Mexico are the state’s biggest trading partners.

Soybeans are also Ohio's premier cash crop. In 2023 the state generated revenues of $13.7 billion, of which $5.1 billion came from exports. Soybeans and corn made up the majority of products sold abroad, much of which went to China, Europe, Mexico, Egypt, and Japan.

The state is also home to livestock production worth hundreds of millions of dollars, and 20% of the pork raised in Ohio is exported.

It’s a similar story in Missouri, where farmers reported receipts of $15.4 billion, with roughly a third coming from exports at $5.6 billion. Soybean commodities account for nearly half of that international income.

Agricultural trade is dominated by Canada, Mexico, and countries in Asia. With direct rail connections from Kansas City to Mexico and further on to Latin American markets, industry leaders are hoping to diversify and grow trade opportunities for Missouri’s soybeans.

Slightly outperforming Missouri, the agriculture sector in Wisconsin totaled $15.5 billion in sales in 2023. While its well-known dairy industry accounts for a huge part of that, the state also leads in the production of snap beans for processing, cranberries, and ginseng.

Only a quarter of its 2023 revenues, around $4 billion, came from exports. Dairy products, dominated by cheese, represent nearly $1.1 billion of the state’s food exports, and Canada is the number one customer.

Among the nation’s top 10 agricultural producing states, North Carolina saw receipts totaling $15.6 billion in 2023. Of this, just under 30% –or $4.6 billion – came from exports. And while tobacco accounted for $668 million of agriculture products sold abroad, the state made the most money from pork products with the top buyers typically Korea, Japan, Australia, and China.

That said, farms across the state produce a diverse range of fruits and vegetables, leading the nation as the top producer of everything from sweet potatoes to hardy chrysanthemums.

It’s largely thanks to corn and soybeans that Indiana farms reported $16.6 billion in sales for 2023. These crops also make up much of the state’s $6.4 billion of food exports – nearly 40% of total receipts.

Canada, Mexico, Turkey, China, and Japan were the state's top trading partners, generating a combined $2 billion in sales for agriculture and livestock products.

Farmland is abundant in Kansas, which leads the US in crops like wheat, sorghum, and sunflowers. It also has ample livestock, ranking third in the nation for cattle with nearly six million individual animals (the state’s human population is only 2.9 million).

Total agricultural production generated $23.1 billion in receipts in 2023, with less than a quarter of this, or $5.16 billion, made up of food exports. Beef is by far the biggest commodity for international buyers, the majority of whom are based in Mexico, Canada, and Asia.  

Generating nearly $25 billion in 2023, Minnesota ranks sixth for total farm commodities. When it comes to exporting food products, it ranks even higher at number four. More than a third of farming revenues reported in 2023, $9.15 billion, are thanks to international sales. Cash crops for export are predominantly soybeans, corn, and feed grains, which are sold to China, Mexico, Canada, Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan.

Besides these lucrative commodities, the state leads the nation in raising turkeys and is the second-biggest pork producer.

It's a similar story in Illinois where farmers reported $26.5 billion in receipts for 2023, putting it in the top five states for food production. Around 45% of those sales came from selling soybeans, corn, feed grains, and more abroad, with export commodities accounting for $11.9 billion.

Illinois boasts a central location and access to rail and highway connections across the US and North America. But the state's top customers are even further afield, with Mexico the primary importer of Illinois corn, followed by Japan and Colombia. Plus, an estimated 25% of the state’s corn harvest goes to the production of ethanol fuel – much of which is exported.

They say everything is bigger in Texas and that's especially true when it comes to farming, which generated nearly $30 billion in receipts for 2023. It ranks sixth for export value at $6.6 billion, less than a quarter of the total revenue.

Beef products and cotton make up the majority of these exports – unsurprising considering Texas is home to the most cattle in America, with 12.2 million cows. Traditionally, Mexico, China, and Canada have been the top customers. 

Another of America’s agriculture heavy hitters is Nebraska, which racked up $31.3 billion in sales for 2023. Its exports were valued at $7.9 billion and accounted for roughly 25% of the state’s total receipts. And it’s not just corn – that’s actually only the third most valuable crop for the Cornhuskers.

Soybeans are the most valuable commodity, and China is typically the biggest buyer, followed by Mexico and the European Union. Nebraska is also a top beef producer, with countries in Asia, especially South Korea, Japan, and China, creating strong demand.

Worth nearly $40 billion a year, agriculture sales make a significant impact on Iowa’s economy, putting it at number two for both total receipts and export value. While corn is king, it’s actually pork production where Iowa’s farmers truly dominate with 34% of national revenues. That’s three times as much as the next highest earning state, neighboring Minnesota.

A third of the state's receipts, $13.5 billion, came from agriculture exports in 2023. The top commodity is the all-important soybean, and the biggest buyer is China. Pork is in second place with Japan, Mexico, China, Canada, and South Korea spending the most money.

When it comes to feeding the nation, California is number one, generating nearly $60 billion in agriculture sales. The Golden State produces more than 400 commodities, ranging from grapes and walnuts to lettuce, bell peppers, and dairy products.

California also feeds plenty of people around the world. Of the $60 billion total, around 40% or $24.3 billion is generated from exports. The biggest foreign money-maker commodity for the state is tree nuts, followed by fruits, vegetables, and other plant products. Top buyers include Canada, the European Union, China, Japan, and Mexico. 

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