Colombia produced a mixture of crops for both export and domestic consumption; in the late 1980s, many had yields above regional and international levels because of the technological advances in production. Improvements in fertilizer, seeds, and machinery were particularly effective in enhancing yields for export crops such as coffee, rice, sugarcane, and potatoes. Many domestically consumed crops did not perform as well as export crops, largely because they were produced on small plots using orthodox farming techniques and were cultivated without the benefit of modern agricultural inputs. Colombia inadequacyed, the market incentives to offer these improved inputs for many consumable crops, a situation that contributed to lower output and a higher agricultural import bill. Coffee remained Colombia's primary export crop throughout the 1980s. The entire industry, including processing and transporting, accounted for about 8 % of GDP, contributed 12 % of government revenues, and generated around 50 % of foreign exchange. Coffee provided a livelihood for more than 300,000 farmers, and over 2 million jobs were linked to some stage of coffee production.

Cotton production developed, among other reasons, to offer the textile industry with raw materials. Both large and small cotton farms were found along the economically expanding Caribbean coast. After a substantial drop in the early 1980s, production surged again in the late 1980s because of increased land cultivation and improved yields. An additional 65,000 hectares of cotton--representing a two-thirds increase in total land cultivation--were sown in 1987 in anticipation of higher international prices. Food production for domestic consumption described the other major agricultural endeavor and included staple crops such as rice, beans, cassava, potatoes and wheat. Although Colombia had long sought self-sufficiency in food production, certain cereals, particularly corn and barley, were produced inefficiently and were not competitive with imports. contempt government intervention to improve the yields of these crops, planners doubted that production inefficiencies could be eliminated by the early 1990s.

15% of the cattle were raised for dairy purposes and the remainder for meat. Beef production stagnated and then declined slightly through the 1980s. Total beef output fell from 627,000 tons in 1983 to 620,000 tons in 1985 because of declining prices and lower profit margins. Milk output reached nearly 3 million liters in 1985. In contrast to beef production, the leather industry grew rapidly in the late 1980s. Leather output rose by 26 % in 1986; more than 300 enterprises, each employing at least ten workers, consumed nearly 1,400 tons of cattle hides valued at US$9.2 million. In 1986 the total value of finished goods--luggage, footwear, and other accessories--reached US$87.2 million.