Idaho remained the top producer in the nation in 2017 for four commodities – trout, Austrian winter peas, barley, and potatoes – but its peppermint oil production fell to second in the nation, according to the USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service.
Other commodities giving Idaho the Number 2 position included sugar beets, hops, and alfalfa hay.
The state remained the nation’s third-largest producer of cheese and the fourth-largest producer of milk.
The total value of Idaho’s agricultural production in 2017 was $7.49 billion, up 3 percent from 2016. Gem State crop production value grew 1 percent to $3.06 billion, while the value of livestock production was $4.43 billion, up 4 percent. Milk remained king within the state with a value of $2.52 billion, up 7 percent from 2016, and representing 34 percent of Idaho’s total agricultural value. Second was cattle and calves, followed by potatoes, hay, and wheat. Sugar beets, barley, corn for grain, dry edible beans, and hops round out the top ten.
While Idaho’s peppermint oil production ranked high in the nation, its value fell 12 percent to $29.6 million. (Capital Press)
