North Dakota Economy

Agriculture and Industry in North Dakota

North Dakota is the most rural of all the states, with farms covering more than 90% of the land. North Dakota ranks first in the nation's production of spring and durum wheat; other agricultural products include barley, rye, sunflowers, dry edible beans, honey, oats, flaxseed, sugar beets, hay, beef cattle, sheep, and hogs.

The Missouri and Red Rivers were once important transportation routes for North Dakota, but now serve a more important function for irrigation for the state's agriculture.

Oil was discovered in 1951, and petroleum is now North Dakota's leading mineral product, just ahead of sand and gravel, lime and salt.

Recently, manufacturing industries have grown, especially food processing and farm equipment. The state's coal and oil reserves are plentiful, and it also produces natural gas, lignite, clay, sand, and gravel. Lignite beds under the western counties of the state are used in construction and pottery materials.

North Dakota Agriculture and Industry

North Dakota Agriculture:

Wheat, cattle, barley, sunflowers, milk, sugar beets.

 
North Dakota Industry:

Food processing, machinery, mining, tourism.

The US Bureau of Economic Analysis estimates that North Dakota's total state product in 2003 was $21 billion. Per capita personal income in 2003 was $28,922, 32nd in the nation.

Agricultural activity is largely dependent on rainfall. Wheat (particularly the durum variety used for pasta), barley, canola, soybeans, sunflowers, and flax are present throughout the state. The wetter Red River Valley is dominated by farms, with the chief crops being Sugar beets and maize. Cattle ranches are more common in the dry southwest, though dairy ranches are more common toward the east. Honey is produced in the central part of the state. Small quantities of juneberries and grapes support a modest domestic winery industry.

The state's relatively small industrial output includes electric power, food processing, machinery (including Bobcat heavy equipment), lignite mining, and tourism.

North Dakota has the only state-owned bank in the United States, the Bank of North Dakota. The bank, by law, holds all funds of all state and local government agencies in North Dakota. Its deposits are not guaranteed by the FDIC, but by the State of North Dakota itself. The state also operates the only state-owned mill in the country, the North Dakota Mill and Elevator.