Idaho passes Washington in farm receipts for first time

By Sean Ellis

Idaho Farm Bureau Federation

POCATELLO – For the first time in at least 102 years, Idaho has passed Washington in total farm cash receipts during a calendar year. It was the state’s livestock sector that made the difference.

According to USDA data released Sept. 3, Idaho farmers and ranchers in 2025 brought in a total of $11.949 billion dollars in cash receipts, which is what a farmer or rancher receives for their commodity. It does not reflect net farm income, which is a broad measure of what the farmer or rancher earns after expenses are factored in.

Washington’s farm cash receipt total in 2025 was $11.926 billion.

USDA began collecting this state-level data in 1924 and last year was the first time since then that Idaho has ranked ahead of Washington in total farm cash receipts.

This places Idaho as the No. 2 state in the West in total farm cash receipts, behind California, which easily ranked No. 1 in the United States in that category in 2025 at $65 billion.

The first state-level estimates for cash receipts in 2025 were released by USDA Sept. 3.

According to that USDA report, Idaho’s farm cash receipt total in 2025 increased 1.5 percent from $11.774 billion in 2024, while Washington’s total fell 5 percent from $12.539 billion in 2024.

It was Idaho’s animal industry that pushed the state past Washington in cash receipts last year. In 2020, Idaho trailed Washington by almost $2 billion in total farm cash receipts and Washington was still almost $1 billion ahead of the Gem State in 2023.

But total cash receipts for Idaho’s cattle and calves sector have increased by 49 percent since 2023, while Washington’s total for that sector has shrunk by 2 percent during the same period.

Idaho’s cash receipt total for animals and animal products in 2025 came in at $8.12 billion, while Washington’s total in that category was $4.5 billion.

Idaho cash receipts for animal products came in at $3.88 billion for cattle and calves, $3.83 billion for milk and $192 million for chicken eggs. Washington totaled $2.1 billion for cattle and calves, $1.2 billion for milk and $652 million for chicken eggs.

Washington had $7.4 billion in crop cash receipts in 2025, while Idaho had $3.8 billion.

In the crop sector, Idaho totaled $1.1 billion in cash receipts for potatoes, $518 million for wheat, $460 million for sugar beets, $358 million for hay, $288 million for barley and $176 million for onions.

Washington totaled $926 million for potatoes, $691 million for wheat, $407 million for onions and $337 million for hay. That state’s agricultural producers also brought in $3 billion for fruits and nuts, which included $1.9 billion for apples, $431 million for cherries and $274 million for grapes.

Washington farmers also brought in $329 million in cash receipts for the state’s hops sector (Idaho, $63 million) and $172 million for floriculture (Idaho, $31 million).