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Where's the beef? On about 31,000 Tar Heel farms, which raised more than 800,000 cattle in 1998. The state rounded up $154 million in cattle cash receipts.

NATIONAL RANK North Carolina's herd accounts for less than 1% of the nation's 91 million beef cattle. 1. Texas 14,130,000 2. Nebraska 6,580,000 3. Kansas 6,471,000 4. Oklahoma 5,309,000 5. Missouri 4,175,000 6. South Dakota 3,599,000 7. California 3,500,000 8. Iowa 3,475,000 9. Colorado 3,166,000 10. Montana 2,582,000 30. North Carolina 882,000 Source: U.S. Department of Agriculture, 1998 HOW BEEF RANKS In 1998, beef cattle contributed 2.1% of the state's $7.2 billion in commodities cash receipts. Cash receipts (in millions) 1. Broilers $1,419.0 2. Hogs 1,323.0 3. Tobacco 998.0 4. Greenhouse/nursery 958.0 5. Turkeys 470.0 6. Cotton 344.0 7. Soybeans 213.0 8. Dairy products 209.0 9. Chicken eggs 189.0 10. Cattle and calves 154.0 Source: N.C. Department of Agriculture, 1998 TOP COUNTIES Beef cattle [*] 1. Randolph 17,700 2. Chatham 16,100 3. Wilkes 16,000 4. Iredell 16,000 5. Cleveland 15,000 6. Union 13,400 7. Rowan 12,200 8. Stanly 11,900 9. Surry 10,500 10. Yadkin 10,000 (*.)number, excluding...