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Corn continues to be Kentucky’s
number one cash crop, bringing in more money to the
Commonwealth than soybeans, tobacco, hay and wheat. In 2010,
corn cash receipts totaled $603.9 million, about 1/3 of
total crop receipts.
Kentucky farmers are planting 1.5 million
acres of corn in 2012.
In 2011, Kentucky's corn farmers produced
180.7 million bushels of corn, the second largest crop in
history. The 2011 crop was valued at $1.16 billion.
Kentucky corn growers produced their largest
crop in history in 2009 - 190 million bushels.
About 50% of the Kentucky corn crop is fed
to livestock. Poultry in Kentucky consume 25% alone. Beef
and dairy cattle and hogs are also important Kentucky corn
consumers.
From the 12 million bushels of corn used
annually to produce fuel ethanol, 107,000 tons of
distiller's grains are produced, which is also fed to
livestock and poultry.
Another 17 million bushels of corn is
utilized by Kentucky's bourbon and spirits industry.
Kentucky’s family corn farmers are producing
twice as much corn as they did in the early 1900’s—on
two-third’s less land.
95% of Kentucky’s corn farms are family owned, and many of
the remaining 5% are partnerships between family members.
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