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Abstract
Mississippi’s agricultural and natural resources commodities were studied and ranked by seven economic indicators for 2019. Four were direct effects of operations—employment, farm gate receipts, gross value added, and final demand sales; two were economic multipliers for gross value added along with a value added, base export multiplier; and the economic export base contributions. Six different commodities occupied the number one ranking for at least one indicator. Broilers and eggs (total receipts and employment) and soybeans (final demand sales and economic base contributions) were commodities that repeatedly ranked first. Mississippi’s base economic contributions from agriculture and natural resources totaled $2.22 billion. Three commodities—cotton, horticultural plants, and broilers and eggs—were key to bringing new money into the state, while others provided support to downstream processors and manufacturers, as well as other commodities. Across all indicators, soybeans, cotton, timber, broilers and eggs, and catfish were state leaders.