Kane County Reporter

Rep. Keith Wheeler (R-North Aurora) used National Agriculture Day on March 22 as an opportunity to draw attention to the enormous contribution of Illinois to the agro-economy of the nation.

"Illinois is home to some of the most fertile soil on earth and one of the top agriculture-producing states in the nation. We cannot thank our farm families enough for all that they do to care for our land while they work to feed and fuel the world .... Happy National Ag Day," Wheeler posted on Facebook.

According to the Illinois Department of Agriculture, 75% of Illinois' land is made of farms. Some of the major industries here include corn, soybeans, cattle, swine, oats, wheat, and poultry. Agriculture amounts to somewhat around $19 billion of the state's economy every year. Among this, almost 50% or more comes from corn, and about 25% comes from soybeans.

According to Stacker, Illinois has the seventh largest agriculture industry in the U.S. based on the data available from the USDA. A total of $6 billion in income is generated from this industry spanning over an area of 27 million acres of farmland. Stacker notes, "The economy in Illinois is affected even more by the vast number of agricultural-related industries such as food processing and meatpacking."

With the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine, Illinois farmers might stand to benefit in June when they harvest their wheat because both countries are two of the largest global wheat producers, as per the report by The Center Square. "We don't want to gloat over people in a war zone, but, yes, this is beneficial for Southern Illinois wheat producers – to the extent that they have not priced that crop yet," University of Illinois agriculture economist Mike Dougherty told The Center Square.