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 Row
Crops grown in Ben Hill County include peanuts, soybeans, tobacco,
corn, grain sorghum, wheat, rye, oats, and of course, King Cotton--which
has completed its comeback to the #1 cash crop (excluding the timber industry)
in our county. Row crops are the largest sector of the agricultural economy.
These crops represent 36,231 acres of farm land. The crops in this category
yield a $17.2 million value.
 Livestock
represent a large portion of the total agricultural gross in Ben Hill
County. Beef cattle, dairy cattle, and swine add to the diversity of Fitzgerald's
agricultural base. Livestock population is close to 10,000 head and is
worth an estimated $1.8 million.
 Forestry,
with more than 100,000 acres in timberland, is another large component
of agriculture. The sale of saw-timber and pulpwood produced $8.1 million
in 1996.
 Fruits
and Vegetables are becoming more established as a solid part
of Ben Hill's production. Watermelons, peas, lima beans, squash, cantaloupes,
sweet potatoes, and others contributed $1.9 million to the ag value in
1996.
 Poultry,
a relatively new industry in our county, added another $3,750,000 to the
economy in 1996.
 Other
enterprises, crop insurance, and government
program payments contributed another $4.4 million to the total agricultural
value of 1996.
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