Agriculture is an integral part of the state's economy. The total cash receipts for agriculture were about $1.6 billion in 2002, but that figure represents only a fraction of the impact of agriculture and agribusiness in the state. Agriculture (food and fiber) along with forestry and forestry products contribute about 25% to the gross state product (GSP). Some 18% of all jobs in South Carolina are from agriculture and agribusiness. As of 2002 there were about 24,500 farms in the state, occupying 4.8 million acres (1.9 million hectares) with an average size of 196 acres (79 hectares). Agriculture in South Carolina supplies not only food for consumption, but also cotton for clothing and soybean oil for newsprint ink.
The main farming area is a 50-mi (80-km) band across the upper coastal plain. The Pee Dee region in the east is the center for tobacco production. Cotton is grown mostly south of the fall line, and feed crops thrive in the coastal and sand hill counties. Tobacco is the leading crop by value; in 2002, farmers in the state produced 59.48 million lb (26.98 million kg) of tobacco on 30,500 acres (12,300 hectares). Soybean and cotton production in that year were 7.1 million bushels and 130,000 bales, respectively. Peach production in 2002 was 160 million lb (72.5 million kg). Greenhouse and nursery products contributed 16.3% to total farm receipts in 2002.
South Carolina farmers and agribusinesses also produce apples, barley, beans, berries, canola, corn, cucumbers, hay, kiwifruit, mushrooms, oats, peanuts, pecans, popcorn, rye, sorghum, sweet potatoes, tea, turf grasses, tomatoes, ornamental trees, and wheat. As more people relocate and retire to the state, demand for agricultural products is increasing in order to supply restaurant, hotel, and landscaping businesses. The South Carolina Department of Agriculture operates three state farmers' markets in Columbia, Florence, and Greenville.