Limestone County ranked third in the state in soybean production for 2005 with 430,000 bushels harvested. The 13,900 acres planted by farmers averaged 31 bushels to the acre.

Other top producing counties included Jackson County which was ranked No. 1 and Madison County which had 570,000 bushels harvested.

In Alabama, soybean producers harvested 145,000 acres in 2005, down 45,000 acres from 2004. Yield per acre was 33 bushels. Production totaled 4.8 million bushels and was valued at $28 million.

Alabama ranked 26th in the U.S. in soybean production. Iowa, Illinois, Minnesota, Indiana and Nebraska were leading states.

Jackson County was also the leading corn production county in the state last year, according to statistics released Tuesday by Alabama Agricultural Commissioner Ron Sparks in Montgomery.

Limestone County farmers planted 9,000 acres of corn and harvested 8,200 acres that produced 1.136 million bushels.

Limestone County is usually the state’s leading cotton producing county in Alabama. Those numbers for 2005 are not yet known.