State Highlights for 1996-97:

*    Total farm and forestry receipts were over $4.2 billion for the year.
*    Cash receipts from farm commodities totaled $3.18 billion in 1996 against $2.87 billion the previous year.
*    The top five commodities for cash receipts were: (1) poultry, (2) cattle and calves, (3) cotton, (4) nursery,
      sod, and greenhouse products, and (5) peanuts. Together they made up about 85 percent of the total
      receipts. Sales from these enterprises were each over $100 million.
*    Livestock and Poultry accounted for three-fourths of the cash receipts and Crops the remaining fourth.
*    Poultry made up almost 60 percent of the total cash receipts.
*    Alabama ranked third in broiler production with marketings of 873 million birds.
*    Laying flocks produced 2.48 billion eggs to rank Alabama 11th in egg production.
*    Cattle inventory on January 1, 1997 was 1.6 million head. The state's ranking was 22nd.
*    Catfish sales amounted to $52.8 million. Alabama ranked second behind Mississippi in sales.
*    Principal crops and acreages were: cotton (520,000), corn (310,000), soybeans (330,000), peanuts(192,000),
       and wheat (110,000).
*    The state ranked third in peanuts and 9th in cotton production.
*    Alabama ranked second in commercial forest land, with 21.9 million acres.


Alabama's Rank Among States: Crop Production, Livestock, and Poultry 1996
Item Unit Rank Production or Number Percent of
U.S. Amount
Alabama United States
Thousand
Catfish, annual sales Dollars 2 52,795 424,447 12.4
Broilers produced 1/ Birds 3 873,300 7,598,200 11.5
Peanuts for nuts Pounds 3 449,805 3,661,205 12.3
Sweet potatoes Cwt. 5 731 13,456 5.4
Pecans, utilized production Pounds 6 14,000 221,500 6.3
All cotton Bales 9 789 18,942 4.2
Cottonseed Tons 9 273 7,144 3.8
All chickens, Dec 1, 1996 2/ Birds 10 15,445 386,418 4.0
Eggs produced Number 11 2,481,000 76,148,000 3.2
Watermelons, fresh market Cwt. 11 893 44,128 2.0
Blueberries Pounds 11 390 125,180 0.3
Tomatoes, fresh market Cwt. 12 425 30,854 1.4
Beef cows, Jan 1, 1997 Head 14 829 34,280 2.4
Sorghum grain Bushels 17 550 802,974 0.1
Sweet corn, fresh market Cwt. 18 216 22,730 1.0
All cattle and calves, Jan 1, 1997 Head 22 1,600 101,209 1.6
Soybeans for beans Bushels 23 10,710 2,382,364 0.4
Hogs and pigs, Dec 1, 1996 Head 25 200 56,171 0.4
Potatoes Cwt. 27 1,309 497,119 0.3
Peaches, utilized production Pounds 27 500 2,010,200 *
Oats Bushels 28 900 155,225 0.6
Corn for grain Bushels 29 22,960 9,293,435 0.2
Honey production Pounds 29 1,024 198,095 0.5
Hay Tons 30 1,752 149,457 1.2
Winter wheat Bushels 34 3,520 1,478,048 0.2
Milk cows, Jan 1, 1997 Head 37 31 9,281 0.3
All sheep and lambs, Jan 1, 1997 Head 39 9 7,937 0.1
Milk production Pounds 40 434,000 154,331,000 0.3
* AL production reduced due to freeze damage. Less than one - tenth percent.
1/ U.S. excludes states producing less than 500,000 birds. 2/ Excluding commercial broilers.

5