In a previous blog, I presented data that show the acreage and farm-gate value of soybean production in Mississippi relative to those of corn, cotton, and rice.

To carry that a step farther, the below graph prepared (from NASS data) by Dr. Jeff Ray, USDA-ARS, Stoneville, MS, shows that the same trend of soybean’s importance occurs across the entire southeastern US (NC, SC, GA, FL, AL, TN, MS, AR, and LA). Thus, it appears that public and private agricultural leaders across this entire region should pay increased attention to and devote increased resources toward addressing the myriad production issues that are encountered by the region’s soybean producers.

Composed by Larry G. Heatherly, June 2015, larryheatherly@bellsouth.net