Economy of Massachusetts including Massachusetts Agriculture and Manufacturing from NETSTATE.COM

In terms of revenue generated Massachusetts' top five agricultural products are greenhouse and nursery products, cranberries, dairy products, sweet corn, and apples.

Livestock

Dairy products account for about 12% of Massachusetts' livestock products income.

Cattle and calves, aquaculture, chicken eggs, and turkeys are also important to the state.

Crops

Greenhouse and nursery products (flowers, ornamental shrubs) are the primary source of farm income in Massachusetts. These products generate 35% of the state's total agricultural revenue.

Cranberries rank second among the other crop products of the state. Massachusetts produces more than 25% of the cranberries grown in the nation.

Other important crops are sweet corn and apples.

Hay is the major field crop grown in the state.

Manufacturing

Manufacturers add value to raw products by creating manufactured items. For example, cotton cloth becomes more valuable than a boll of cotton through manufacturing processes.

Computer and electronic products (computer equipment, microchips) are the state's leading manufactured products. Manufacture of communication equipment (broadcasting devices, military communications systems, telephone equipment) is also important. Automation control devices, oscilloscopes and other instruments are also produced in the state.

Fabricated metal products (ammunition, guns, hand tools, knives, stampings, valves) rank second in the manufacturing sector followed by chemicals (pharmaceuticals, cleaning products, photographic materials).

Mining

Production of sand and gravel (concrete, roadbeds) and crushed stone (asphalt pavement, road surfaces) is responsible for most of the state's mining income.

Fishing

Massachusetts is one of the leading commercial fishing states. New Bedford accounts for about half the scallops produced in the nation.

Massachusetts' commercial fishing industry delivers a broad range of product including cod, flounder, haddock, lobster, ocean perch, whiting, clams, crabs, hake, herring, pollock, squid, swordfish and tuna.

Services

Community, business and personal services (private health care, private schools, law firms, computer programming and network services, engineering companies) is the most important service sector in Massachusetts. The state is one of the world's important medical research centers and private universities and colleges are major employers.

Finance, insurance and real estate ranks second. Boston, home of a stock exchange The Boston Stock Exchange, and many large insurance and holding companies, ranks among the country's major financial centers.

Wholesale (automobiles, groceries, petroleum) and retail (automobile dealerships, food stores, gas stations ) trade ranks third among the state's service industries.

Massachusetts Economy

Agriculture