Poultry and eggs were Kentucky's leading farm commodity in 2009, with cash receipts of $911.6 million, ending the equine industry's 10-year reign at the top of the list. According to a release Aug. 31 from state agriculture commissioner Richie Farmer, the equine sector was responsible for $780 million of the state's total $4 billion.

Kentucky farm cash receipts in 2009 totaled $4.26 billion, down 9.6% from the adjusted record 2008 total of $4.71 billion, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Economic Research Service. The 2009 total was the third-highest on record.

Soybeans were the leading crop with cash receipts of $527 million on the strength of a 51% increase from 2008, edging out corn at $524 million. Cattle and calves generated $484.6 million in cash receipts in 2009. Tobacco receipts were up for the fourth year in a row at $382.8 million.

Crops accounted for 43% of total Kentucky receipts at nearly $1.83 billion, 43.4% higher than crop receipts for 2005, the first year after the federal tobacco quota and price support system ended