Oklahoma’s 2025 Crop Rankings Just Shifted — And It’s a Surprise

If you were to drive all over Oklahoma, you’d be amazed at how much the landscape changes from one corner of the state to the other. Every region has its own crop personality.

Up in Northwest Oklahoma, it’s still wheat country. Always has been. But you’ll also see canola, oats, milo, and rye waving in the wind. The soil out there is built for grain and it’s back to being Oklahoma’s agricultural heavyweight.

Wheat Steps Back Into the Spotlight

Head east of I-35 and north of I-40, and you’ll start seeing more corn than you’d expect in a state this far south. It’s not just in the flatlands, you’ll find lots of wheat, soybeans, and corn across those rolling hills. That being said, it's worth mentioning that soybeans have lost a lot of ground this past summer. Between trade pressures, global markets, and shifting farm policies, they’re no longer Oklahoma’s top earner.

Down in the southeast, the stereotype says one thing, but the reality is something else. That part of Oklahoma grows a surprising amount of produce and greenhouse crops. You’ll still see wheat fields and hay meadows, but the real money has moved elsewhere.

Things are pretty different down in Southwest Oklahoma. Altus, Hollis, Duke, Lone Wolf, Snyder... that’s where the cotton fields stretch as far as you can see. If you’ve ever driven Highway 62 in late summer, you’ve seen those pivot irrigation rigs spinning out water pulled from Lake Lugert. That’s cotton country, and cotton’s holding strong as the state’s third-biggest moneymaker right now, right behind what used to be Oklahoma's biggest cash crop.

Hay Slips to Second Place

For a few years, hay held the title as Oklahoma’s top cash crop, especially during those dry spells when a round bale could go from $30 to well over $100. Every rancher remembers the drought years when herds were sold off because feeding them cost too much. This is also why America is importing so much beef, and why prices are so high. But lately, with a little more rain and better wheat harvests, hay has settled into the number two spot. Still essential, still profitable, just not quite the king it was.

The updated rankings tell the story:

1. Wheat
2. Hay
3. Cotton
4. Corn

Soybeans Lose Ground

After that, soybeans trail behind, providing proof of how markets, weather, and policy can reshuffle Oklahoma’s entire farm economy in just a few short years. It was on track to be the Sooner State's most profitable crop, but politics shuffled everything around.

If there’s one thing that’s consistent about farming here, it’s that nothing ever stays the same. One year’s top crop can slide to second place just like that. Wheat’s wearing the crown again for now, but in Oklahoma, that crown always comes with a prayer for just enough rain. 2025 was way too wet, which is as bad as being too dry.