Agriculture Across Arkansas, Louisiana, and Mississippi

Agriculture remains a cornerstone of life in the U.S. Delta Region consisting of Arkansas, Mississippi, and Louisiana. Each state showcases unique agricultural strengths due to their varied ecosystems, terrains, and climates.

Arkansas is the national leader in rice production, with over 1.43 million acres harvested in 2024. Beyond rice, Arkansas’s largest value of sales is poultry and eggs with a total of $7.68 billion in 2022, according to the 2022 Census of Agriculture.

Louisiana’s rich soils are excellent for crop production, leading to the production of 16.8 million tons of sugar, 3.2 billion pounds of rice, and 77 million bushels of corn in 2024. Crawfish thrive in clay-based soils and are sometimes double cropped with rice, adding $131.5 million to Louisiana’s unique agricultural landscape which totaled $4.9 billion in 2022.

Mississippi is the top state in the nation for catfish production, accounting for $245.9 million in sales during 2022. The state's agricultural sector is vital, including the production of 128.7 million bushels of soybeans and 1.2 million bales of cotton. Mississippi's broad agricultural output supports both local economies and national markets, and has adapted to environmental changes with innovative farming techniques.

Together, these states form a vital part of America's agricultural landscape, blending tradition with innovation to meet demands for their products.