Specialty producers represent a small but essential part of the Agriculture industry in South Dakota, but there is little official data on these producers. The S.D. Specialty Producers Association (SDSPA) contacted the Dakota Institute regarding an effort to study the business activities of specialty producers in South Dakota and understand their role in the state’s economy.
In order to gather new information on these producers, S.D. Specialty Producers Association and Dakota Institute developed a survey for distribution to SDSPA members and producer contact lists that would gather information on the types of specialty crops produced in the state as well as the employment and sales of producers in this segment of the Ag sector.
Some interesting takeaways from the report include:
- Compared to 20 years ago, specialty crop production has changed from predominantly large-scale cultivation of potatoes and sweet corn to more farms producing a wider variety of crops on a smaller scale.
- The top five most reported specialty crop categories were vegetables, culinary herbs & spices, fruits, honey, and cut & potted flowers.
- In terms of revenue generation, the most important vegetables were tomatoes, lettuce greens, pumpkins, cucumbers, potatoes, and garlic.
- 42% of respondents had been in business for over ten years
Source: sdspecialtyproducers.org