The $82 billion food and agriculture complex is one of New Jersey's largest industries, ranking only behind pharmaceuticals and tourism in economic benfits brought to the state.

Retaining productive farmland is critically important to all New Jersey residents since agriculture is the largest single source of the scenic vistas we all enjoy throughout the year. Productive farmland now covers 790,000 acres.

Farmers in the Garden State produce more than 100 different kinds of fruit and vegetables. Nationally, New Jersey is one of the top ten producers of cranberries, blueberries, peaches, bell peppers, cucumbers, snap beans, spinach, squash, tomatoes and lettuce.

In addition, growers also produced hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of specialty crops. Vineyards are a growing segment of the industry, enabling the state's 20 vintners to develop a wide variety of award-winning wines.

Fish and seafood are also a valuable commodity with tons of bluefish, tilefish, flounder, hake, shellfish and other species harvested annually. With its catch sold here at home and in foreign markets around the world, the commercial fishing industry adds another $159 million to the value of agriculture in New Jersey.