The U.S. is the largest producer of agricultural products. The U.S. was the first to move into agribusiness. Agricultural productivity is growing even faster than industry. For example, increased yields in the U.S. gave an 81% increase in crops. An indicator of the level of intensification of agriculture can be the value of production obtained from 1 hectare ($580). One worker engaged in agriculture can feed 80 people and cultivate 50-60 hectares. The efficiency of US agriculture is based mainly on intensive factors (highly productive machinery, qualified personnel, use of the achievements of NTP, government support). The main enterprise of U.S. agriculture is the capitalist farm. There are 2.1 million farms in the U.S., employing about 3 million people. They are supplemented by nearly two dozen million who serve agriculture, process and sell its products. The natural resource conditions for agricultural development in the United States are favorable.
U.S. agriculture is multi-sectoral. The main branches are farming and cattle breeding. Multisector agriculture not only meets the country’s domestic needs, but also provides a significant portion of production for export.
In agriculture the main crops are corn, sorghum and barley. The so-called “corn belt” is located in the Central Plains. Wheat is grown on the prairies in the “wheat belt,” from Canada to Texas, and yields 60 to 80 million tons a year. Rice is also grown.
In the U.S. it is customary to allocate more than ten agricultural belts, each of which has a fairly pronounced specialization. There is a “cotton belt” on the lower Mississippi River, a “dairy belt” in the Lakeland states, etc. In the USA soybeans, peanuts and sunflowers are grown. They grow sugarbeets and potatoes in the northern states, sugarcane in the Mississippi delta, in Florida and Hawaii, tobacco in Virginia, North Carolina and Kentucky. Potatoes, a variety of vegetables, and fruits are grown in many states.
Livestock production has a good forage base. The number of cattle is about 100 million and of pigs 55. Broilers are raised to 5.5 billion annually, horses to 6 million head, etc. Livestock production is focused on satisfying the domestic market.
Logging in the U.S. is concentrated in the Cordilleras in the northwest and southeast. Fisheries are well developed in the United States.