2009 PRESS RELEASES
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March 9, 2009
CELEBRATE VIRGINIA AGRICULTURE WEEK MARCH 15 – 21, 2009
Contact: Marion Horsley, 804.225.3820
Every day, Virginians eat, drink, wear, plant, feed and enjoy what Virginia farmers work hard to provide. Now it’s time to recognize and salute the valuable efforts and achievements of the state’s agriculture industry.
Governor Timothy M. Kaine has proclaimed the week of March 15 – 21, 2009 as Virginia Agriculture Week and all Virginians are invited to join the celebration.
“There are numerous reasons to celebrate Virginia Agriculture Week,” said Todd P. Haymore, Commissioner of the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (VDACS). “The number one reason is that agriculture is Virginia’s largest industry by far, contributing $55 billion annually to the state’s economy and providing more than 357,000 jobs.”
Virginians should also applaud the state’s agricultural production, one of the most diverse in the nation with products encompassing livestock, field crops, fruits, vegetables, poultry, dairy, greenhouse and nursery, aquaculture and vineyards.
When ranked with other states, Virginia agriculture boasts 11 commodities and products in the top ten based on production, including leaf tobacco, 3rd in the nation; fresh market tomatoes, 4th; turkeys and wine, 5th; apples, summer potatoes and fresh market snap beans, 6th; grapes, 8th; peanuts and sweet potatoes, 9th; and fresh market cucumbers, 10th.
Virginia exports approximately $2.22 billion worth of agricultural products annually to markets around the world including Canada, Egypt, Switzerland, Morocco, China, Indonesia, Venezuela, Turkey, Germany, Russia, the Netherlands, Dominican Republic, Hong Kong, Japan, Philippines, Malaysia, Jamaica, Cuba, Vietnam and Taiwan.
Virginia’s 47,100 farms cover 8.5 million acres or 34 percent of Virginia’s total land area. The average Virginia farm consists of 181 acres and has assets worth more than $1 million. Approximately 90 percent of Virginia farms are owned and operated by individuals or families, with females representing about 14 percent of the primary farm operators.