AUGUSTA – Maine was the No. 1 New England state for agricultural production in 2006, the first time since 2003 the state has taken the region’s top spot.

Maine farmers had $593 million in product sales last year, according to the New England office of the National Agricultural Statistics Service.

Farm sales totaled $524 million in Connecticut, $503 million in Vermont, $433 million in Massachusetts, $162 million in New Hampshire and $66 million in Rhode Island.

In Maine, potato sales grew to $130 million from $98 million the year before, followed by livestock and poultry at $126 million. Dairy sales came in at $84 million, blueberries at $60 million and eggs at $51 million.

The figures represent only sales off the farm, said Maine Agriculture Department Commissioner Seth Bradstreet. As the products move through the economy, their economic impact grows, he said.

“Farming in Maine has grown into a very diverse industry, from small organic truck farms to dairy operations milking 1,000 cows, and that is our strength,” Bradstreet said. “We produce more brown eggs and harvest more wild blueberries than anyone in the world.”

As a whole, New England farmers had sales of $2.3 billion in 2006, according to NASS.

Maine took over the top spot in the region from Vermont, which had been the leader for two years. Vermont farm receipts fell from $567 million in 2005 to $503 million in 2006.

Regionwide, greenhouse and nursery products were the best-selling agricultural products, according to NASS, with $576 million in sales. Milk was close behind with sales of $573 million.

Livestock and poultry products accounted for $293 million in sales, followed by fruit at $223 million.